U.S. — Bessent: Economic pressure on Iran is producing results

WASHINGTON, 27 September /ATSH-AFP/ — U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Saturday that the United States’ efforts to economically isolate Iran are producing results, pointing to new measures against Iran’s banking and aviation sectors.

Bessent said that, at his direction, American teams had been sent to various countries to seek action against Iran.

According to him, these efforts are “producing results.”

He cited as examples Turkey and Oman, which have banned inbound flights of the Iranian private airline Mahan Air, as well as the United Arab Emirates, which has banned flights of Iranian airlines.

Bessent also mentioned measures against the banking sector.

The Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates has blocked transactions with branches of Bank Melli Iran, while Turkey last week revoked the license of Bank Mellat, an Iranian bank that has long been subject to Western sanctions.

According to reports cited by Bessent, the U.S. Treasury Department has held discussions with more than 50 countries as part of efforts to increase economic pressure on Tehran.

The measures are part of the U.S. operation called “Operation Economic Isolation,” launched in August to limit Iran’s financial and economic ties with the rest of the world.

However, not all countries are following the same line as Washington.

China, a key economic partner of Iran, continues to maintain ties with Tehran, and several Iranian airlines keep operating, particularly toward China.