Sept 22, 2026
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent threatened Iranian airlines with a “shut-down” from tomorrow, by means of airports refusing to refuel them and sell tickets, in the latest verbal escalation in the U.S.-Iran war, despite reported efforts to achieve peace amid soaring energy commodity prices.
“How do we do that? That 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,” Bessent told CNBC in the latest U.S. flex against Iran.
The threat comes amid hopes this week’s General Assembly gathering in New York would produce some progress towards peace between Washington and Tehran. The hopes were sparked by the news that Iran will send a delegation to the UN, to be headed by the country’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian. They pushed oil prices lower last week and on Monday before the benchmarks reversed course, mostly on short-covering, according to energy analysts.
The Treasury Secretary’s threat to airlines, however, demonstrates that the U.S. is not really willing to make concessions but would rather increase the pressure on Iran to force it to the negotiating table. Indeed, Bessent added that the United States was pressuring Iran “like never before.” Bessent’s statements echoed comments made by President Trump over the weekend that the only way for the war to end was “wiping Iran out,” or letting its economy “rot”, per a Fox News interview.
Iran, meanwhile, warned of an imminent U.S. attack that also involved allied nations, and said it would respond aggressively. “If the U.S. makes any mistake against the Islamic Republic of Iran, all its positions and interests in the region will be targeted by sustained, effective and painful attacks,” the country’s central military command said in a statement.
Oilprice.com
