Bessent: US sanctions squeeze Iran’s aviation sector

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the question of how Iranian officials attending the UN General Assembly in New York will return home needs to be addressed as US sanctions continue to squeeze Iran’s international aviation operations.

He noted that the campaign was affecting Iran’s international air links, claiming that as many as 80% of international flights from Iran had been grounded.

Bessent also warned financial institutions, companies and other entities supporting Iran that Washington would target their operations and bank accounts.

"We have made this very clear to the world: whether you are financiers, people doing business, or people supplying the Iranians. We know who you are, and you know who you are," he told Fox News.

The US official described Washington’s strategy as a combination of military operations, a naval blockade and financial pressure.

Washington launched a broad campaign in August aimed at economically isolating Iran and targeting companies, financial institutions and other entities accused of helping Tehran evade US sanctions. Since then, the US Treasury Department has intensified efforts targeting Iran’s aviation networks, financial institutions and cryptocurrency-related infrastructure.