Washington(The COW News Digital) US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said that American economic sanctions are disrupting between 80 and 90 percent of international flights traveling to and from Iran.
In an interview with US media, Bessent said Washington was imposing unprecedented economic pressure on Tehran through a series of stringent sanctions.
He said the measures were already having a significant impact on Iran’s international aviation network, with a large majority of flights entering or leaving the country reportedly affected.
Bessent also questioned how the Iranian delegation currently in New York would manage its return journey to Iran, given the impact of the sanctions and restrictions.
The US Treasury secretary said Washington was aware of entities and individuals cooperating with Iran in violation of American sanctions. He added that the United States would continue targeting Iran’s financial networks as part of its broader economic pressure campaign.
According to Bessent, the US administration has three main objectives behind increasing economic pressure on Tehran.
The first, he said, is to create internal divisions within the Iranian government. The second objective is to encourage opposition to the Iranian government among the Iranian population. The third is to ensure that Iran fully complies with any agreement reached with the United States.
Bessent indicated that the economic pressure campaign could continue for weeks or months, suggesting that Washington does not expect its sanctions policy toward Iran to end immediately.
The comments come amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran and growing international attention on the economic consequences of sanctions against Iran.
US sanctions have targeted various sectors of the Iranian economy and financial system, with Washington seeking to restrict Tehran’s access to international financial networks and limit economic activity connected to entities under sanctions.
Iran has repeatedly criticized US sanctions, describing them as economic pressure against the Iranian people. Tehran has also rejected Washington’s approach in several areas and maintained that it will defend its national interests.
The latest remarks by the US Treasury secretary indicate that Washington intends to maintain pressure on Iran while pursuing its stated objectives through financial and economic measures.
The reported disruption to international flights adds another dimension to the broader economic impact of the sanctions, potentially affecting passengers, businesses and diplomatic travel involving Iran.
