US Moves to Ground All Iranian Airlines Worldwide Starting September 23
By Hotspotnews
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced Monday that all Iranian airlines will effectively be shut down around the world beginning September 23. Any airport, fuel supplier, ground-handling company, or ticket seller that continues to service Iranian aircraft will face exclusion from the U.S. dollar system.
The warning targets not only the airlines themselves but the entire network of companies they rely on to operate internationally. Bessent said that once an Iranian plane lands, providers cannot refuel it, cannot offer landing services, and cannot sell tickets without risking being cut off from dollar-based finance.
The step completes sanctions imposed on September 8 against all remaining Iranian carriers. Those earlier designations formed part of Operation Economic Outcast, a broader campaign launched in late August to isolate Iran’s aviation sector. U.S. officials have long argued that Iranian commercial airlines have been used to move weapons, personnel, and illicit cargo in support of the regime and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Bessent made the remarks after talks with Chinese officials, including Vice Premier He Lifeng. He described Beijing as “very engaged” in the pressure campaign against Tehran. The comments came days before a planned summit between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Iran’s aviation industry was already constrained by years of sanctions that limited access to new aircraft, spare parts, and maintenance. The latest measures aim to close remaining loopholes by threatening secondary sanctions on any foreign entity that continues to enable flights.
The announcement arrives amid an ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict that began earlier this year. Washington has framed the aviation clampdown as one element of a systematic effort to cut off financial lifelines to the Iranian government. Bessent did not specify how long the intensified pressure would last, only that the strain on Tehran is unlike anything seen before.
The practical effect will depend on how many airports and service providers comply. Major international hubs that still handle occasional Iranian flights now face a clear choice: halt those operations or risk losing access to the world’s dominant currency system.
Sources
- CNBC interview with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, September 21, 2026
- U.S. Department of the Treasury press release, “Treasury Grounds Iranian Airlines with Sweeping Sanctions Action,” September 8, 2026
- Al Jazeera, “US threatens to ground Iranian airlines worldwide from Wednesday,” September 21, 2026
- Reuters reporting on Bessent’s comments regarding China and secondary sanctions, September 21, 2026
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