Can the US ban Iranian airlines worldwide - and what would it mean?

Analysts say new sweeping US sanctions stand to worsen lives of millions of Iranians already struggling in a battered economy.

x whatsapp-stroke copylink google Add Al Jazeera on Google info An Iran Air Airbus 330-200 landing at Frankfurt Rhein-Main Int'l Airport. [File: Fabrizio Gandolfo/SOPA Images via Getty Images] By Yashraj Sharma Published On 22 Sep 2026 22 Sep 2026 United States Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has announced that all Iranian airlines could in effect be shut out of international operations from Wednesday as he warned companies against providing services to the country’s carriers.

“On September 23, all the Iranian airlines will be shut down around the world,” Bessent said on Monday.