US warns Iranian airlines could face global shutdown
US Treasury Secretary
Scott Bessent said on September 21 that Iranian airlines would effectively be
shut out of global operations unless foreign businesses were willing to risk US
sanctions.
The measures could affect
airports, fuel providers, ground-service companies and ticketing businesses
that continue working with sanctioned Iranian airlines. Bessent said companies
assisting the carriers could face restrictions on access to the US dollar
financial system.
The warning follows a
September 8 Treasury action targeting 27 Iranian airlines and other entities
involved in the country’s aviation sector. The department said foreign
companies supporting sanctioned carriers could face significant consequences.
Iran’s aviation industry
has faced years of US sanctions, limiting carriers’ access to aircraft, spare
parts and other aviation services. Washington has increasingly extended
sanctions exposure to foreign intermediaries and service providers.
Bessent also said China
had been engaged in discussions with Washington over compliance with sanctions
targeting Iran. Beijing is a major economic partner of Tehran.
The latest measures are
part of the Trump administration’s broader Operation Economic Outcast, launched
in August to increase financial pressure on Iran and organizations supporting
its economy.
