A claim is rapidly circulating on social media and in some news posts that all Iranian airlines around the world will be shut down from September 23, 2026. The claim cites a statement by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, according to which countries or companies that provide Iranian aircraft with services such as fuel, landing facilities, or ticket sales could be excluded from the U.S. dollar-based financial system.
The claim is not entirely fabricated, because the U.S. Treasury Department has imposed extensive sanctions on Iran’s aviation sector in September, and Bessent has made a strong statement regarding September 23. However, saying that “the United States has directly ordered all countries around the world to shut down Iranian airlines” oversimplifies the situation. The actual issue concerns U.S. sanctions and the potential use of secondary sanctions to affect the international operating capacity of Iranian airlines.
What Exactly Did the U.S. Warning Say ?
In an interview with CNBC on September 21, 2026, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that Iranian airlines would be shut down worldwide from September 23. Explaining how this could potentially happen, he said that if Iranian aircraft land in a country, companies providing them with services such as fuel, landing services, or ticket sales could face the risk of being excluded from the U.S. dollar system.
Therefore, the original statement attributed to Bessent in the viral posts is real. However, an important distinction needs to be understood here: this is not an announcement that the United States is directly closing the airspace of every country to Iranian aircraft. The main pressure is being placed on the foreign companies and service providers through which Iranian aircraft continue their operations abroad.
What Action Did the U.S. Take on September 8 ?
The background to this warning is the U.S. action taken on September 8, 2026. The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) took action against a total of 36 targets connected to Iran’s aviation sector. These included 27 Iranian airlines. The U.S. Treasury said that the action was taken as part of its “Operation Economic Outcast.”
The 27 airlines included Iran Air Tour, Iran Aseman Airlines, Qeshm Air, Kish Airlines, Saha Airlines, Sepehran Airlines, Taban Airlines, Varesh Airlines, Zagros Airlines, and several others. The official OFAC list identifies these companies as being subject to sanctions based on their operations in Iran’s aviation sector.
In addition, action was taken against several foreign companies and individuals whom the U.S. government accused of providing aircraft, cargo, or other aviation-related assistance to Mahan Air.
Was Iran Air Already Under U.S. Sanctions ?
This is important for understanding the viral image and the news surrounding it. The Iran Air aircraft shown in the image is not an airline that has only recently been sanctioned by the United States. The U.S. has previously imposed sanctions on Iran Air.
According to U.S. Treasury records, Iran Air was brought under the scope of U.S. sanctions in 2011, followed by other sanctions-related actions against the airline. In 2024, the United States also designated Iran Air in connection with activities related to Russia’s transportation sector.
Therefore, it would not be accurate to say that the September 8 action was the “first time the United States imposed sanctions on Iran Air.” A significant part of that action was aimed at Iranian airlines that, at that time, had not been listed under that particular U.S. sanctions regime.
What Does Being Excluded from the Dollar System Mean ?
This is the most important part of Bessent’s statement. The United States cannot directly order an airport in another country to prohibit an aircraft from landing in its territory. However, the U.S. sanctions system can create the risk of secondary sanctions for foreign companies.
For example, suppose an Iranian aircraft lands at an airport. If the company providing fuel, the ground-handling company, the ticketing agency, or another service provider comes within the scope of U.S. sanctions, that company could risk losing access to the U.S. financial system.
Because of this pressure, a company may decide to stop providing services to an Iranian aircraft. As a result, it could become practically difficult for an airline to operate a flight to a particular foreign destination. In its September 8 action, the U.S. Treasury clearly stated that foreign companies providing support to Iran’s aviation sector could also face significant sanctions risks.
Does This Mean Every Iranian Aircraft Will Be Grounded from September 23 ?
It would not be accurate to state this conclusion as an established fact at this stage.
The U.S. Treasury Secretary identified September 23 as the date for broader action, and the U.S. government has already sanctioned a large number of Iranian airlines and networks associated with them. However, whether an airline’s actual flights stop in a particular foreign country also depends on decisions by that country’s airports, aviation authorities, service providers, and other relevant companies.
Therefore, “the United States has legally banned all Iranian aircraft from flying around the world from September 23” and “U.S. sanctions could make it difficult for Iranian airlines to obtain essential services abroad” are two different statements and should not be treated as equivalent.
The currently available official U.S. documents clearly mention the September 8 action against 27 airlines and several foreign networks connected with them.
The U.S. Also Changed a General License
On September 8, OFAC also suspended certain Iran-related aviation authorizations. These included Iran General License J-1, which allowed certain transactions under specified circumstances involving the temporary transfer of civil aircraft to Iran and related transactions. Alongside this, OFAC issued General License DD to allow the winding down of certain limited activities.
According to OFAC, certain requests related to aviation safety may be considered on a case-by-case basis. This means that even within the sanctions framework, not all aviation-related activities are necessarily treated in exactly the same way.
What Could Be the Impact on International Aviation ?
If foreign airports, fuel companies, ground handlers, ticketing agencies, and other service providers reduce or stop working with Iranian airlines because of the risk of U.S. sanctions, Iranian airlines could face significant operational pressure on their international flights.
This could result in the cancellation of some international routes, a reduction in the number of flights, or the need to make alternative arrangements. However, confirmation that a particular route has been suspended—or that all international flights have completely stopped—would need to come from the individual airline and the relevant aviation authority.
How Accurate Is the Claim ?
Claim: From September 23, the United States will directly shut down all Iranian airlines around the world.
Fact: On September 21, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that Iranian airlines would be “shut down” globally from September 23. In addition, on September 8, the United States imposed extensive sanctions targeting 36 entities, including 27 Iranian airlines.
However, describing this as “a direct U.S. flight ban on Iranian aircraft in every country around the world” would not be accurate. The U.S. strategy primarily involves sanctions and secondary-sanctions pressure on companies that provide Iranian airlines with fuel, landing services, ground handling, ticket sales, and other essential services.
Therefore, the most factually accurate way to describe the development would be:
The United States has warned that, from September 23, it will increase pressure through sanctions and action against service providers in an effort to restrict the international operations of Iranian airlines.
It would go beyond the available official information to state that “all Iranian flights around the world have definitely been shut down.”
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