Iranian Airlines Suspend Services Worldwide, Iran Introduces New Conditions

Amid escalating tensions between Iran and the United States, Washington has announced further measures to intensify economic and aviation pressure on Tehran, while U.S. President Donald Trump has indicated that he is currently in the decision-making stage regarding future actions against Iran.  U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that from September 23, Iranian airlines will face severe difficulties in accessing aviation services worldwide. According to him, if an airport allows Iranian aircraft to land or provides them with fuel, or if an entity sells tickets for Iranian airlines, the organization concerned could face sanctions that would exclude it from the U.S. dollar financial system.

Under the measure, Iranian airlines are likely to face restrictions on various facilities and services required to continue international flight operations. The U.S. government has already imposed sanctions on several entities linked to Iran’s aviation sector, raising concerns that Iranian airlines’ activities abroad could be further affected.  Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump said that he is currently in the decision-making stage regarding Iran and that major developments could occur in the near future. He said various options are under consideration, including continuing economic pressure, reaching an agreement with Iran, or taking tougher action.  Trump warned Iran that Tehran would have to change its behavior, while also not completely ruling out the possibility of meeting the Iranian president.

As tensions between Iran and the United States continue, the situation is also changing rapidly regarding the Strait of Hormuz, military activities in the region, and the possibility of negotiations. Iranian officials have also warned of retaliation in the event of another U.S. attack, while diplomatic channels have not been completely closed.  Meanwhile, senior Iranian security official Mohsen Rezaei said that Iran had conveyed its peace conditions to the United States through Qatari mediators. He said that accepting these conditions would be in the United States’ own interest.

The 60-day period set for negotiations on a settlement under the U.S.-Iran Memorandum of Understanding expired last month without an agreement, while disruptions to maritime trade in the Strait of Hormuz have contributed to rising energy prices. Rezaei wrote on X on Saturday that Iran’s seven conditions for starting negotiations had been conveyed to the U.S. administration. He said Tehran’s message was clear and unequivocal: if Washington wants to escape the crisis it created and avoid becoming further entangled, it has no choice but to recognize Iran’s rights and accept its conditions.

In an interview with Al Jazeera, Rezaei, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said the conditions included ending the war on all fronts, unfreezing Iran’s frozen funds, and ending the naval blockade. Iranian officials have previously said they are also demanding the withdrawal of U.S. forces from the region and compensation for the U.S. and Israeli attacks carried out on February 28.  Rezaei further said that Trump’s threats would produce no results and that Iran was prepared for a decisive war.

On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump said he hoped the war was moving toward an end and indicated that Iran wanted to reach an agreement. However, the following day, he again threatened that if the conflict did not end on his terms, he would “wipe out” the Iranian leadership.  On Friday, the U.S. military revealed that the cost of the nearly seven-month-old conflict had reached $43.6 billion, with approximately two-thirds of the amount spent on replenishing depleted munitions. According to Bloomberg, widely reported ammunition shortages could delay the supply of weapons to U.S. allies by several years.  Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have denied that the conflict has caused the United States to run short of missiles and bombs.