US Treasury Secretary Scott Besant says Washington will cut off Iranian airlines’ access to landing spots, refueling and ticket sales in a bid to increase pressure on Tehran.
treasure Secretary of State Scott Besant said Thursday the United States will block Iranian airlines’ access to landing sites, among other measures, as Washington pushes to step up pressure on Tehran and open the Strait of Hormuz.
In a post on Twitter, Besant said Washington would “cut off both Iranian airlines’ access to landing spots, refueling and ticket sales,” without giving further details.
“Only a satisfactory outcome in the negotiations will end the decline,” he warned.
Besant did not specify which airlines she was referring to, although Tehran’s flag carrier Iran Air has previously been designated by the US State Department, while Iran’s Mahan Air has also been targeted by sanctions.
His latest statement comes after the Treasury on Wednesday unveiled sanctions on Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority, Tehran’s new agency that is supposed to collect fees for travel through the Strait of Hormuz.
Since February 28, following the US-Israeli attack on Iran, Tehran has effectively closed the waterway, a key route for energy transit. Energy prices have increased since then.
US and Iranian armies have held a ceasefire since April 8 while diplomats push for a negotiated solution, but the United States and Iran launched strikes on Thursday.
