In light of diplomatic efforts aimed at reducing tension between Washington and Tehran, the United States is escalating its economic pressure, targeting the Iranian aviation sector, by threatening secondary sanctions targeting those providing services to Iranian companies.
During an interview with CNBC on Monday, US Treasury Secretary Scott Besent confirmed that Washington continues to tighten its economic grip on Iran, pointing out the difficulty of predicting the length of time the conflict may last.
Picent revealed that the Chinese side is “intensively” involved in the economic pressure campaign led by his country against Tehran, indicating that he discussed this file with the Chinese Deputy Prime Minister, He Lifeng, during bilateral talks that brought them together in New York, which also dealt with commercial and technological files.
In an escalatory step, the Minister of Treasury expected that all Iranian airlines would stop operating internationally as of September 23, as a result of threats to impose secondary sanctions on entities supporting the Iranian aviation sector.
Besant stated that airports that will receive Iranian aircraft will be subject to strict restrictions that prohibit supplying them with fuel, providing landing services, or selling tickets, warning violators of penalties that may amount to exclusion from the global financial system linked to the dollar. These measures come within a broader strategy that the US administration has expanded its application over the past weeks, to limit Iran’s ability to interact with the international financial and commercial system.
On the other hand, Beijing adheres to its position calling for calm and the resumption of dialogue. On September 16, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged the two parties to exercise maximum restraint and return to the negotiating table.
