Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defended President Donald Trump‘s aviation restrictions on Iran, saying more than 80% of the country’s external flights had likely been shut down, while Iranian officials warned neighboring countries against cooperating with the U.S. measures.
An 80%-90% Decline
On Wednesday, the White House’s official Rapid Response handle shared a clip of Bessent’s Fox News appearance, where the Treasury Secretary said the U.S. was “squeezing the Iranians like they’ve never seen.” Bessent added that “the external flights from Iran, probably more than 80% or 90% of them got shut down.”
Bessent said he was unsure how the Iranian delegation that traveled to the UN General Assembly held in New York this week was “going to get home.” Bessent added that the U.S. had made it “very clear” to financiers, businesses, as well as suppliers for Iran that the U.S. will “prosecute and execute your companies and your bank accounts every day and every week.”
According to a report by Al Jazeera on Wednesday, Iranian flights were disrupted following U.S. restrictions, pushing thousands of travelers to land crossings with countries like Turkiye and Armenia, and then taking onward flights from those airports.
Meanwhile, a Bloomberg report on Wednesday, citing flight tracking data, showcased that multiple Iranian flights landed in airports in China, Thailand and Afghanistan despite U.S. sanctions and threats to remove countries and institutions from the dollar system.
Iran Security Chief Warns Against Flight Restrictions
Following Bessent’s comments on flight restrictions, Iran’s Security Chief Mohsen Rezaee, in an interview with Iranian state TV on Wednesday, warned against restrictions on the country’s aviation industry. “I urge all our neighboring countries not to get involved in the US’s adventure,” Rezaee said.
He added that countries involved with the U.S. will not be able to operate their airports. Rezaee said that it was up to Iran’s neighbors to decide whether they wanted to “co-operate” with the U.S. or “defend” Iran or remain neutral. “Today, Iran’s conditions are in the hands of Pakistan and Qatar,” as well as other mediators, he said.
Rezaee added that the conditions would be conveyed by Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to intermediaries in New York, saying there was “no question” about any changes in the country’s conditions for a deal. “If the United States does not meet these conditions, we will neither open the Strait of Hormuz nor engage in negotiations,” Rezaee said.
In a post on X, Rezaee then said that Iranian diplomacy will not return to the past. “We will compel the United States to respect the rights of the Iranian nation and comply with the stipulated conditions,” Rezaee said. He added that if the conditions were not met, Iran will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz. “Enough talk—take action,” Rezaee said.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei had earlier slammed Trump for blaming Iran and the Strait of Hormuz’s closure for rising fuel costs in the U.S. “Whose actions created the crisis that led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz?” Baqaei asked.
Disclaimer: Iran Security Chief’s comments were originally made in Farsi and have been translated into English.
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