United States Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Monday that operations of all Iranian commercial airlines would shut down globally beginning on September 23. "On September 23rd, all the Iranian airlines will be shut down around the world," Bessent told CNBC, outlining broad secondary sanctions aimed at isolating Tehran's civil aviation network. Bessent explained that international hubs servicing Iranian planes would face complete exclusion from the American banking system. Foreign operators could not refuel the aircraft, provide landing facilities, or sell passenger tickets without risking their access to dollar clearing, he warned. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has warned Iranian airlines will have trouble functioning globally in two days under the weight of American sanctions, in an interview with US broadcaster CNBC. 🔴 LIVE updates: https://t.co/htTiBaVLz2 pic.twitter.com/CsX80Fx8Lj — Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) September 21, 2026 Iranian officials did not immediately issue a public response regarding the planned aviation restrictions. Bessent also warned third-party entities assisting Tehran that Washington had identified financial intermediaries facilitating transactions. "We've seen enablers throughout the world. We know who they are. They know who they are, and we are putting a stop to it," he said. Asked whether discussions covered potential Chinese enforcement, Bessent confirmed that the matter was addressed during meetings. He noted that Washington conducted "quiet, behind-the-scenes discussions" with multiple nations rather than public spectacles, adding that Chinese financial authorities, including People's Bank of China Governor Pan Gongsheng, remained “very engaged in the process.” Regarding the duration and intensity of the campaign, Bessent did not specify whether the pressure would last "one week, one month, or six months" but noted the strain was “like never before.” Mohsin Naqvi arrives in Tehran, meets Iran's interior minister: Iranian media Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met with Iran’s Interior Minister, Eskandar Momeni, and emphasised finalising agreements to expand bilateral relations during their meeting on Monday, according to IRNA.  Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni and his Pakistani counterpart, Mohsen Naqvi stressed expansion of bilateral relations. pic.twitter.com/p0TpvZ9FvS — IRNA News Agency ☫ (@IrnaEnglish) September 21, 2026 Earlier, Naqvi arrived in Tehran and was welcomed by his Iranian counterpart and officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, according to ISNA. سیدمحسن نقوی وزیر کشور پاکستان در راس هیاتی با استقبال همتای ایرانی خود وارد تهران شدhttps://t.co/K0LKKZxIcX pic.twitter.com/dDPPtZ9GXT — خبرگزاری ایسنا (@isna_farsi) September 21, 2026 Regarding the visit, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmail Baghaei had earlier said that the visit was taking place within the framework of bilateral relations. He described the relations between the two countries as very good and said: "Our relations, especially in the last few months, have been growing in all areas." Baghaei added that "During this visit, it is planned to discuss the understandings that have already been made between the two countries, including at the level of presidents." Baghaei on Saturday said there was no plan to exchange any specific messages regarding mediation. Naqvi, who has been actively involved in the mediation process alongside Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir, is slated to discuss matters related to attacks by the Yemeni Houthi group on Saudi Arabia's oil and economic infrastructure, and how to revive the stalled peace talks with the US, official sources who spoke earlier to Anadolu added. Islamabad has already warned that the recent escalation in Yemen would further complicate the already complex regional scenario. This was Naqvi's sixth visit to Tehran since the US and Israel launched war against Iran in February. According to an official source who spoke with an IRNA reporter in Islamabad, Pakistan's Interior Minister Seyyed Mohsen Naqvi made a trip to Iran on Monday. pic.twitter.com/TkpBYuQwoq — IRNA News Agency ☫ (@IrnaEnglish) September 21, 2026 Pakistan has remained the primary mediator between Iran and the US throughout the war, and has maintained close contact with both sides. Trump spoke with Yemen's president on Sunday, sources say US President Donald Trump spoke by phone with Yemeni President Rashad al-Alimi on Sunday, four people familiar with the matter said, discussing the advances of the Iran-backed Houthis around a vital global waterway. Alimi requested US support for his Saudi-backed government in its fight against the Houthis, who this month took key areas along the Bab al-Mandeb strait in a lightning offensive. Two of the sources, one Yemeni and one Western, said Trump had made no direct pledge of military support during the call. The White House and Yemen's information minister did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Tanker struck by projectile in Strait of Hormuz, two crew injured, UKMTO says A tanker transiting the Strait of Hormuz was struck by a projectile, injuring two crew members, United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Monday, citing military authorities. UKMTO WARNING 140-26 Click here to view the full product.⤵️https://t.co/WVkFIoPW0l#MaritimeSecurity #MarSec pic.twitter.com/CVFhhsDnvU — UKMTO Operations Centre (@UK_MTO) September 21, 2026 The two crew members sustained minor injuries, while the vessel continued to its next port of call, it added. Iran says it downed US MQ-1 drone over Strait of Hormuz: report Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Monday that it intercepted and destroyed a US Army MQ-1 drone over the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iranian media. The IRGC said the drone was brought down by its new advanced aerospace air defence system, operating as part of Iran's integrated air defence network, Mehr News Agency reported. The force claimed Washington had returned the MQ-1 to service after suffering heavy losses among its MQ-9 fleet. It said the MQ-1, known as the "Beast of Kandahar" after logging about 20,000 flight hours over Afghanistan, had been retired from US military service and replaced by the MQ-9. After the destruction of a large portion of the MQ-9 fleet, the US has been forced to use this drone, the IRGC said. US says 'door is open' for Iran to return to negotiations US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz said on Sunday that the “door is open” for Iran to return to negotiations to end the conflict in the Middle East. Speaking at an Al-Monitor Live event in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Waltz said the Trump administration believes time is on its side in the conflict with Iran, which began February 28. “I do believe that to be the case,” Waltz said when asked by Al-Monitor senior adviser Andrew Parasiliti whether Washington believes time is on its side. He added that the “door is open for Iran to come back to the negotiating table,” while dismissing as “fantastical” reports that Tehran has demanded an end to US sanctions and reparations as conditions for renewed talks. Waltz also said that Iran "can never [be allowed to] hold the world hostage with a nuclear weapon." Mike Waltz, the US envoy to the UN, says US President Donald Trump is determined to ensure Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon and will continue to apply “maximum pressure to that end”. 🔴 LIVE updates: https://t.co/htTiBaWjoA pic.twitter.com/Q0R6UJ1po1 — Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) September 21, 2026 “The Iranian regime is at its weakest point since 1979, and it’s getting weaker,” Waltz said, citing economic pressure and the collapse of Iran’s currency. “They’re going to come back [to talks], I hope peacefully and diplomatically.” US denies visas to Iranian president’s media team, official says The United States has refused to issue visas to President Masoud Pezeshkian’s media team, forcing him to travel to New York for the UN General Assembly without them, an Iranian official said on Monday, according to Iran International. Habibollah Abbasi, director-general of public relations in the president’s office, described the decision as a “hostile act.” US military preparing to resume strikes Iranian military command said on Monday that it received information that the US planned to resume strikes on the country, according to Al Jazeera. Iran would use new weapons and target locations not previously attacked if the United States launched a new offensive against it, Revolutionary Guards spokesperson Hossein Mohebbi said on Monday, according to the Fars news agency. "If a new aggression occurs, we will certainly change the weaponry and the geography of the war," Mohebbi said, adding that Tehran was prepared for a prolonged conflict. Iran’s military command says it has received information that the US is preparing to resume strikes on the country, after months of reduced direct attacks. 🔗 https://t.co/OtKGMk7AFX pic.twitter.com/ILzV3gKkny — Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) September 21, 2026 Earlier, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said that Tehran's "messages and conditions have been conveyed explicitly" to the US through intermediaries. He reiterated that the conditions must be met before negotiations resume. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said that Tehran's "messages and conditions have been conveyed explicitly" to the US through intermediaries. He reiterated the conditions must be met before negotiations resume. 🔴 LIVE updates: https://t.co/qJleYbnwN8 pic.twitter.com/VYgZvxBhxB — Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) September 20, 2026 Vessels trickle through Strait of Hormuz as Middle East conflict persists A dozen commodity vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz on the weekend, down from 35 the prior weekend, shipping data showed on Monday, as tension in the Gulf persisted with the US and Iran in stalemate. Visible traffic through the strait, the conduit for a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas before the war, has dwindled to a trickle. However, Middle Eastern producers continue to export oil on tankers travelling with their transponders off. Among trackable ships, four vessels — two tankers carrying refined oil products and two empty carriers for bulk goods and gas — exited the strait on Sunday, while another two small-sized oil tankers entered the Gulf, provisional data from analytics firm Kpler showed. On Saturday, five vessels left the Gulf carrying agricultural products, liquefied petroleum gas and fertiliser while an empty very large gas carrier entered, the data showed. Before the US-Israeli war with Iran started on February 28, the strait typically handled about 125 large, commercial vessels per day, including tankers, gas carriers, bulkers and container vessels. Iran and US trade threats after Houthi attacks escalate regional conflict Iran and the United States exchanged new threats on Sunday, with President Donald Trump warning Iran would fail ‌economically or face its leadership being wiped out if it didn't make a deal, and the Iranian military saying it would retaliate harshly to any fresh attack. The conflict has looked stalemated for months, with no sign either side was ready for concessions even as it has deepened a global energy crisis, cratered swathes of Iran's economy and spilt over into new regional escalations. In a ​phone call with a Fox News reporter, Trump said Iran's leaders should make a deal, rot economically or be wiped out, the reporter said. However, ​with Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian expected in New York this week for the United Nations General Assembly, Trump said he would ⁠be open to meeting him, the Fox reporter added. Read: Trump warns he has entered 'deciding mode' on Iran, says 'big things' are in store Trump has repeatedly made vague threats of major military escalations during the conflict that began with US and Israeli ​strikes on February 28, without carrying them out. Earlier, Iran's military central command said any new attack would trigger sustained retaliation against US bases and interests and that ​Washington's regional allies would be considered parties to the conflict. The Iranian military added that it had information that an attack was being prepared, without elaborating on what that information might be. Yemen's Giants Brigades say 5 Houthi military vehicles destroyed near Bab al-Mandab Strait Yemen’s government-affiliated Giants Brigades said on Sunday that they destroyed five Houthi military vehicles on the Kahbub front overlooking the Bab al-Mandab Strait, killing all those inside. "The Giants Brigades destroyed five Houthi military vehicles, killing everyone aboard them," the brigade's media centre said in a Facebook statement, without giving a death toll. It said one vehicle belonged to an unidentified commander, and another carried a 23mm weapon. The media centre released video purportedly showing the vehicles engulfed in flames. The Houthis did not immediately comment. The Kahbub Mountains in Lahj governorate near the Bab al-Mandab Strait are strategically important because they overlook a major international shipping route connecting the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Qatar says mediation efforts underway to revive US-Iran talks Qatar said on Sunday that its mediation team has been discussing proposals for nearly two weeks aimed at restarting talks between the United States and Iran. 🧵 1/7 Qatar’s Foreign Ministry says mediators are working 'around the clock' to restart talks between Iran and US. This follows comments by Iran’s security chief, who confirmed to Al Jazeera that Iran’s terms have been conveyed to the US through mediators Qatar and Pakistan. pic.twitter.com/CB0K2UAgyg — Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) September 21, 2026 “We have been exchanging various ideas for nearly two weeks on resuming talks between Washington and Tehran,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari, according to Qatari media. Qatar, alongside Pakistan, has been mediating between the two sides. “We are working through our mediation team with Tehran and Washington to see whether talks can resume, and our mediators are currently moving between different capitals in the hope of making progress on this track,” al-Ansari said. He added that Qatar had heard assurances from officials in the US administration that Washington wanted to reach an agreement. Al-Ansari said there is a need for “a regional solution that achieves stability and an international understanding that protects waterways such as the Strait of Hormuz.” “Subjecting waterways to the sovereignty of a single state and using them as a weapon will set a dangerous precedent for all of us,” he added. The US has recently carried out military attacks on sites in Iran amid a deadlock in negotiations over disagreements concerning navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important routes for energy supplies and global trade, despite a memorandum of understanding signed by the two sides in mid-June. Iran responded with attacks on what it said were US military facilities and equipment in Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia. Some of the attacks caused civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure, drawing condemnation from the affected countries and calls for them to stop. The US and Israel launched a war against Iran on February 28, leaving more than 3,000 people dead. Iran responded with attacks that it said killed Americans and Israelis. Houthis target Riyadh US Gulf allies have already been badly scarred by a war that the US and Israel launched with no warning, bringing their cities under Iranian fire and hammering their economies with the ​crucial Strait of Hormuz waterway blockaded. On Saturday, their predicament worsened further, with Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi group launching missile and drone strikes at the Saudi capital after having ​made sudden military gains in Yemen's reignited civil war earlier this month. Reuters video showed a massive plume of black smoke billowing from the area of Riyadh's main international airport following booms ‌overnight. Read more: UN Security Council condemns Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia The US ⁠State Department issued a security alert citing the Houthi hostilities. It said there was potential for unforeseen escalation in the Middle East, and Americans should exercise more vigilance and be aware of possible flight cancellations and airspace closures. Saudi Arabia did not comment on the incident, though a Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis said it had foiled other attacks on the kingdom. Recent escalation by the Houthis has forced Riyadh into a painful dilemma: continue airstrikes on the group to stop it seizing more Yemeni ​territory or step back in the hopes ​of averting drone strikes on critical ⁠infrastructure. Energy exports blockaded The Houthi gains along the coast mean the group's forces now sit on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, giving them easier control over shipping travelling between the Red Sea and Asia and the ability to blockade the crucial waterway. With Iran already ​having blockaded most shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, the oil-rich Gulf's energy exports are now almost entirely cut ​off from global markets, ⁠adding to pressure on oil prices. A US blockade of Iranian ports is meanwhile stopping Iran from selling its own oil, contributing to major problems in the Islamic Republic's economy. Despite the economic damage, there is little sign of a return to the interim ceasefire agreement that was struck in June but fell apart in July amid disputes over its terms. Iran reiterated ⁠on Sunday that ​it would not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until the terms of that June agreement, as ​it interpreted them, were met. Ghalibaf said Iran would have to keep on fighting as well as negotiating, to push back its enemies and to consolidate any gains with diplomacy.