US Warns Iranian Airlines Face Global Shutdown From September 23

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has warned that Iranian airlines could be effectively shut out of international operations from September 23, as Washington expands its sanctions campaign against Iran’s aviation sector.

Speaking to CNBC on September 21, Bessent said, “On September 23, all the Iranian airlines will be shut down around the world.” He warned that foreign businesses providing services to Iranian carriers could face consequences under the U.S. financial system.

“If they land, you cannot provide them with fuel, you cannot provide them with landing services, you cannot sell them tickets, or you will be knocked out of the dollar system,” Bessent said.

The threat is aimed not only at the airlines themselves but also at the international network of companies they depend on to operate. That includes fuel suppliers, airports, ground-service providers, ticketing companies and other businesses involved in supporting Iranian carriers outside the country.

The strategy relies on the importance of access to the U.S. dollar and international financial system. Companies that continue providing certain services could face U.S. sanctions or other restrictions, creating an incentive for foreign businesses to cut ties with Iranian airlines.

The warning follows a major Treasury action on September 8, when the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned 27 Iranian airlines under an August determination covering Iran’s aviation sector.

The Treasury said the airlines were part of an aviation network that the Iranian government uses to transport weapons, personnel and illicit cargo. Washington also sanctioned companies and intermediaries outside Iran that it said were supporting Mahan Air and Iran’s aviation sector.

The sanctioned airlines include Iran Air Tour, Iran Aseman Airlines, Qeshm Air, Kish Airlines, Sepehran Airlines, Taban Airlines and Zagros Airlines, among others.

Iranian aviation has already experienced disruption as sanctions pressure increases. Some Iranian carriers have suspended particular international routes, while foreign airlines and aviation authorities have also adjusted services involving Iran.

The latest U.S. warning could put additional pressure on Iranian airlines if airports, fuel companies and other aviation businesses decide to stop servicing them to avoid exposure to U.S. financial restrictions.

However, Bessent’s statement is a warning about the expected effect of the sanctions, not evidence that every Iranian airline has already been grounded worldwide. Whether the airlines can continue operating particular international routes will also depend on decisions by foreign governments, airports and private service providers.

Iran’s airlines have faced U.S. sanctions for years, restricting their access to aircraft, spare parts, maintenance and international financial services. The new measures represent a broader attempt by Washington to isolate Iran’s aviation sector from international commercial and financial networks.

If foreign service providers broadly comply with the U.S. warning, Iranian airlines could face significant difficulties operating international flights from September 23.

For now, the September 23 deadline is the key date, with the extent of the resulting disruption expected to depend on how foreign airports, fuel suppliers, ticketing companies and other aviation businesses respond to the U.S. sanctions threat.