U.S. Threatens to Ground Iranian Airlines Worldwide

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC that Iranian airlines could face an effective global shut-down if other countries' airports refuse to provide fuel, landing services or ticketing — with those who comply subject to removal from the U.S. dollar system. Bessent framed the measure as a tool to increase pressure on Iran and said the United States was pressing Tehran "like never before," according to the report. The comments arrived as Iran prepared to send a delegation to this week’s United Nations General Assembly in New York, headed by President Masoud Pezeshkian. Reports that Iran would attend the UN session had briefly eased market concerns and contributed to a drop in oil prices before benchmarks later reversed on short-covering, energy analysts cited by the source said. Bessent’s statements echoed recent remarks reported from President Trump, in which he said the war would end only by "wiping Iran out" or allowing its economy to "rot," as described in a Fox News interview. The Treasury secretary’s threat signals the U.S. preference, per the source, to intensify economic pressure rather than make concessions ahead of or during diplomatic engagements. Tehran responded with a warning of its own. The country’s central military command said that if the United States launched any mistake against Iran — allegedly involving allied nations — Tehran would retaliate by targeting U.S. positions and interests in the region with "sustained, effective and painful attacks," the source reported. The report was published by Irina Slav for Oilprice.com and situates the aviation-targeted sanctions threat alongside both ongoing diplomacy at the UN and recent energy-market moves influenced by the prospect of de-escalation.