The US plans to shut down Iranian commercial flights from international travel starting Wednesday as part of its effort to impose sanctions that force Iran to concede to its demands.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Monday said all Iranian airlines will be “shut down around the world on September 23.”
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Washington’s sanctions campaign against Tehran targets foreign companies that continue providing services to Iranian carriers.
Mr Bessent told CNBC that international airports, ground-handling companies and ticketing agents could face US sanctions if they continue to service Iranian airlines.
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This means Iranian carriers would struggle to obtain basic services such as fuel, landing assistance and ticket sales outside Iran.
Mr Bessent also said any airport or company that provides them fuel, landing services or ticket sales will be “knocked out of the dollar 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,” he said.
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US President Donald Trump told Fox News on Monday that his options on Iran were “wiping Iran out, letting them rot economically, or making a deal.”
The US introduced new rounds of sanctions in August to further isolate the country, but the effort stalled. The campaign, called Operation Economic Outcast, primarily targets countries doing business with Iran.
Iran’s aviation industry has already faced significant restrictions due to years of US sanctions. The sanctions limited Iranian carriers’ ability to purchase new aircraft and obtain spare parts and maintenance services.
This new policy will further strain the sector.
READ ALSO: Iran considers exiting Non-Proliferation Treaty
Mr Trump earlier demanded that Tehran “put up the white flag of surrender.” He also threatened to make the Strait of Hormuz US territory.
The US President had also previously threatened that “a whole civilization will die… never to be brought back again.”
However, the war, which he projected to last weeks, has expanded across the region, killed at least 18 US service members and thousands of people in the Middle East, and rattled the global economy.
But Mr Bessent told CNBC that the US president is presently in a “deciding mode,” and that “Very big things are going to be happening in the not-so-distant future.”
He said the war is likely to be over in the coming weeks.
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