U.S. Treasury Says Operation Has Largely Cut Iran’s Foreign Flights

Overview

• Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he dispatched envoys around the world and on Saturday reported that those efforts are delivering concrete results in isolating Iran.
• The Treasury announced on September 8 that it sanctioned 36 aviation-linked targets, including Iran’s remaining airlines and foreign intermediaries used to obtain aircraft and parts.
• Several governments and banks have acted: the United Arab Emirates has stopped flights by Iranian carriers, Turkey and Oman halted Mahan Air arrivals, the UAE central bank blocked Bank Melli transactions, and Turkey revoked Bank Mellat’s license.
• Compliance is uneven because some Iranian international routes, especially links to China, remain operational and Beijing has publicly rejected the U.S. airline measures as unlawful while Iran has threatened retaliation.
• U.S. officials say further weekly sanctions and the threat of cutting access to the U.S. dollar system will continue, a strategy that could heighten regional tensions and disrupt travel and humanitarian flows if enforcement widens.