Bessent Warns of Sanctions on Iranian Airlines Starting Sept. 23

[Financial News]   The U.S. government has warned of tough "secondary sanctions" targeting Iranian airlines, as well as foreign companies and airports that work with them, putting the airlines' international operations at risk of an effective total shutdown.
On the 21st, local time, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in an interview with CNBC that "all Iranian airlines will be grounded worldwide starting Sept. 23."
The warning targets not only Iranian airlines themselves but also third-country businesses involved in aviation operations, including overseas airports, fuel suppliers, ticketing agents and ground-handling companies that do business with them.
Bessent emphasized, "Even if an Iranian aircraft lands, no one should provide it with fuel or landing-related services, and no one should sell its tickets. Companies that violate this will be immediately cut off from the U.S. dollar payment system."
The measure is the latest phase of the economic pressure campaign that the Donald Trump administration is waging against Iran. It was introduced amid escalating tensions between the two countries. Earlier this month, the Treasury Department added all of Iran's remaining airlines that had previously been excluded from existing sanctions, along with foreign companies that had supported Iran's aviation industry, to its sanctions list.
Iran's aviation industry has faced serious difficulties in acquiring new aircraft and securing parts and maintenance services because of longstanding U.S. sanctions. The latest measure is likely to leave Iran's aviation sector completely isolated from the international aviation network.

[email protected] Yoon Jae-jun Reporter