Overview
- Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned on September 21 that secondary sanctions would begin enforcement on September 23 and that foreign airports, fuel suppliers and ticketing or ground‑handling firms risk losing access to the U.S. dollar system if they service Iranian airlines.
- Following the September 23 enforcement deadline several countries including Georgia, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Oman, Turkey and the UAE announced suspensions or bans that prompted widespread route cancellations and immediate travel disruption.
- The U.S. strategy targets the aviation support chain rather than airspace control by sanctioning refuellers, handlers, insurers and banks so that carriers cannot obtain essential services needed to operate internationally.
- Despite the new restrictions some Iranian flights continued to land in destinations such as China and Thailand, and Beijing publicly called the U.S. measures illegal, highlighting uneven international compliance.
- Iran has threatened retaliation against neighbouring airports that comply, raising the risk of wider regional disruption and deepening humanitarian and commercial impacts for pilgrims, medical patients and travel businesses.