Treasury threatens to cut dollar access for any company serving Iranian airlines

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Monday that all Iranian airlines would be shut out of international operations starting September 23, warning that any company providing fuel, landing services, or ticketing to Iran's carriers would be "knocked out of the dollar system."

The threat extends the sanctions Washington imposed on September 8, which covered all 27 Iranian carriers. Bessent said the measures target not just the airlines but their entire operations chain — airport operators, ground handlers, fuel suppliers, and ticketing companies.

Mahan Air, Iran's largest international carrier, has already suspended flights to Turkiye and Oman after the US sanctioned 36 foreign companies for supporting Iran's aviation sector. Iran Air's European network has largely disappeared; it now flies only to Iraq and Istanbul.

Analysts told Al Jazeera that China and Pakistan are unlikely to comply, while the UAE may follow the US lead. Iranian-American economist Nader Habibi said fares have already risen as much as 100 percent in recent weeks, on top of household incomes that have fallen up to 30 percent amid currency collapse.