U.S. Treasury chief says Iran airlines to be ‘shut down’ on September 23

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned on Monday (September 21, 2026) that Iranian airlines will have trouble functioning globally in two days under the weight of American sanctions - as the Trump administration seeks to keep pressure on Tehran.

On September 23, "all the Iranian airlines will be shut down around the world," Mr. Bessent told CNBC in an interview.

"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 added.

The United States and Iran have been at war since late February, when U.S.-Israeli strikes killed the Islamic republic's supreme leader and senior military officials at the start of a broad offensive.