Bessent Thanks UK, Türkiye, Oman, UAE for Helping Isolate Iran’s Airlines and Banks

WASHINGTON, Sept 27:  US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Sunday that Washington’s campaign to economically isolate Iran is producing results, citing restrictions on Iranian airlines and banking transactions in Türkiye, Oman and the United Arab Emirates.

In a post on X, Bessent said the US Treasury had imposed targeted financial measures against banks and aviation service providers under “Operation Economic Outcast” and had sent teams around the world to press governments to take action against Iran.

Bessent said Türkiye and Oman had halted Mahan Air flights, while the UAE had stopped flights by Iranian airlines. He also said major commercial banks in the UAE and Türkiye had stopped transactions with Iran.

The US Treasury launched Operation Economic Outcast on August 24 as a campaign aimed at cutting Iran's access to international financial and economic networks. On September 8, the Treasury announced sanctions against 36 targets linked to Iran's aviation sector, including all remaining Iranian airlines, as well as foreign intermediaries and companies accused of supporting Iran's aviation activities.

Bessent said the campaign was also contributing to economic pressure on Iran, pointing to the rial's fall to record lows. He thanked the governments of the UK, Türkiye, Oman and UAE for their cooperation and said Washington would continue working with partners.

The claims about the effectiveness of the campaign are Bessent's assessment. The reported restrictions have affected Iranian aviation and banking links, although Iranian airlines continue to operate some international routes, particularly to China, according to recent reporting.