Bessent: Turkey, Oman, UAE curb Iranian flights and bank links
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Sunday, 27 September 2026 thanked Turkey, Oman, the United Arab Emirates and the UK for steps that restrict Iranian banking and aviation links, saying Washington’s pressure campaign was “delivering results” (Iran International).
Bessent said the measures followed Operation Economic Outcast, under which Treasury sanctioned Iran’s financial and aviation sectors and sent teams to press other countries. He said Turkey and Oman had stopped Mahan Air flights while the UAE had halted flights by Iranian airlines. The UAE confirmed this week that it had suspended Iranian airline flights, citing US sanctions — a primary partner confirmation beyond Bessent’s podium line.
Why aviation and banks matter
Cutting tickets and correspondent banking raises friction for trade and travel even when some oil still moves through Hormuz under escort (Energy Secretary Wright’s ~13 million bpd average in a separate Sunday interview). Secondary pressure is the working edge while Washington refuses Tehran’s reopen price.
China’s track remains different: President Xi Jinping told Trump last week that Beijing supports returning to the June Islamabad framework aimed at ending the war and reopening Hormuz.
Pressure stack
| Tool | Sunday signal |
|---|---|
| Aviation | Mahan / Iranian carriers halted; UAE confirms suspension |
| Banking | Turkey & UAE majors stop Iran txs (Bessent) |
| Campaign name | Operation Economic Outcast |
| Military/shipping | Escorted Hormuz flows continue (separate track) |
Bottom line
Bessent’s Sunday thanks cast partner aviation and banking curbs — including a UAE confirmation this week — as isolation that is “delivering results,” running beside, not instead of, the fight over Hormuz sequencing.