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Gulf News: Iran's airlines 'to be shut down' on 23 September. Le Figaro: they 'could be' paralysed

Two reports carry the same claim from US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Both headlines state the grounding as settled. The one text we can read says it could happen. Neither quotes Bessent's own words, and neither quotes anyone in Iran.

Le Trésor américain affirme que les compagnies aériennes iraniennes seront privées de vols dès le 23 septembre
Le Trésor américain affirme que les compagnies aériennes iraniennes seront privées de vols dès le 23 septembre as published by Le Figaro · seen at Le Figaro
Geopolitics & international affairs Iran United States

The claim. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says Iran's airlines face a halt from 23 September. Gulf News and Le Figaro both carry it, four minutes apart.

Where they part. Both headlines state it flat. Only Le Figaro's text hedges it.

Gulf News Le Figaro
Headline all Iran airlines "to be 'shut down'" airlines "seront privées de vols" (will lose their flights)
Text we hold none airlines "pourraient être paralysées" (could be paralysed)
Cause given none "le renforcement des sanctions américaines" (tighter US sanctions)
Quotes Bessent directly no no

How Le Figaro frames it. It opens in its own voice: "Les États-Unis accentuent la pression sur l'Iran" (the United States steps up pressure on Iran). The United States is the only actor named.

Who is missing. 0 of 2 reports quote Iran's government, its airlines or a passenger. Neither says how many people fly on Iranian carriers.

What is not settled - Whether Bessent said "will" or "could". Neither report quotes him, and we hold no text from Gulf News below its headline. - What the measure is. Only Le Figaro names sanctions. Neither names a legal instrument, a list of airlines or the foreign airports affected. - Whether it covers domestic flights, or only flights abroad. - How Iran answered. We hold no report of a response.

What this is about. The United States says it will use sanctions to stop Iran's airlines from flying.

How it got here. The United States and Iran have been adversaries since the 1979 revolution and the seizure of the US embassy in Tehran. Washington has sanctioned Iran in layers ever since. Aviation was hit early: US rules bar the sale of American aircraft and parts to Iran, and many Western aircraft contain enough US parts to be covered. As a result, Iran's fleet is among the oldest flown by any country.

In 2015 Iran, the United States and five other powers signed the nuclear deal known as the JCPOA. Iran limited its nuclear programme. In return, sanctions eased, and Iran Air signed deals to buy new Airbus and Boeing jets. In May 2018 President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the deal and reimposed sanctions. Most of those aircraft were never delivered.

The US Treasury has also blacklisted individual Iranian airlines. It designated Mahan Air in 2011, and Washington accuses it of flying for the Revolutionary Guards. Iran rejects such charges. In June 2025 Israel and Iran fought a war, and the United States struck Iranian nuclear sites. In September 2025 the UN sanctions lifted under the deal were reimposed after France, Germany and Britain triggered its "snapback" clause.

The actors. The US Treasury runs the sanctions. Scott Bessent has led it since January 2025. Iran's government and its state and private airlines are the target. Iranians who fly are the people who would feel it.

What is at stake. Iran is a large country. For many Iranians, flying is how they cross it and how they leave it. A halt would reach far beyond the state.

Where it stands. The two reports we hold give a date, 23 September. They do not say what the measure is.

The story so far

Earlier stories The AI Times filed on this thread.

What is being argued about

  • Whether the US said Iran's airlines 'will' or 'could' be grounded
  • Headlines that claim more than the text beneath them
  • No Iranian voice and no passenger in either report
  • What legal measure, if any, sits behind the 23 September date
Will, or could?Side by side
OutletHeadlineTextHedged?
Gulf Newsall Iran airlines to be 'shut down' on September 23we hold no text below the headlineNo
Le Figaroseront privées de vols dès le 23 septembre (will lose their flights)pourraient être paralysées (could be paralysed)In the text, not the headline
Headlines and text as published. The English glosses are ours. Neither report quotes Bessent directly.
Sources Gulf News
State-owned, sometimes critical estimate · not a score
Gulf News 🇦🇪AE · newspaper · independent US Treasury chief says all Iran airlines to be 'shut down' on September 23 Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at Gulf News → What we have measured Headline framing the incident is folded into a named war and led by the oil price; one tanker, not two ×1Headline framing incident placed inside a named 'US-Iran war' and led by the oil price ×1How hard the claim is stated The denial that it is a war is labelled a claim, while the fighting itself is downgraded to a conflict ×1How hard the claim is stated none — assertion carried as fact ×1 from 6602 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → Le Figaro
Centre-right estimate · not a score
Le Figaro 🇫🇷FR · newspaper · independent Le Trésor américain affirme que les compagnies aériennes iraniennes seront privées de vols dès le 23 septembre Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at Le Figaro → What we have measured Asserted, not attributed the capture of the strait and a "lightning offensive" are stated flat, with no source and no date ×1Asserted vs attributed The mayor's account and his opponents' charge are both attributed. ×1Asserted vs attributed The capture of the strait is stated flat, as settled background to a different story, with no source and no date for the claim. ×1Attacker identified by nationality in the headline ×1 from 7685 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times →
What two reports carryChart
A count of what was published, not a rating of either outlet.
Sources Gulf News
State-owned, sometimes critical estimate · not a score
Gulf News 🇦🇪AE · newspaper · independent US Treasury chief says all Iran airlines to be 'shut down' on September 23 Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at Gulf News → What we have measured Headline framing the incident is folded into a named war and led by the oil price; one tanker, not two ×1Headline framing incident placed inside a named 'US-Iran war' and led by the oil price ×1How hard the claim is stated The denial that it is a war is labelled a claim, while the fighting itself is downgraded to a conflict ×1How hard the claim is stated none — assertion carried as fact ×1 from 6602 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → Le Figaro
Centre-right estimate · not a score
Le Figaro 🇫🇷FR · newspaper · independent Le Trésor américain affirme que les compagnies aériennes iraniennes seront privées de vols dès le 23 septembre Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at Le Figaro → What we have measured Asserted, not attributed the capture of the strait and a "lightning offensive" are stated flat, with no source and no date ×1Asserted vs attributed The mayor's account and his opponents' charge are both attributed. ×1Asserted vs attributed The capture of the strait is stated flat, as settled background to a different story, with no source and no date for the claim. ×1Attacker identified by nationality in the headline ×1 from 7685 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times →
The bias in this coverageBias

'Will' in the headline, 'could' in the body

Both headlines state the grounding as settled. The one body we can read says it 'could' happen. Neither report quotes Iran or says anything about passengers.

2 headlines stating it flat 1 bodies that hedge 0 reports quoting an Iranian voice 0 reports mentioning passengers
Scored without the mastheads. Where the two passes differ, both are kept.
Sources Gulf News
State-owned, sometimes critical estimate · not a score
Gulf News 🇦🇪AE · newspaper · independent US Treasury chief says all Iran airlines to be 'shut down' on September 23 Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at Gulf News → What we have measured Headline framing the incident is folded into a named war and led by the oil price; one tanker, not two ×1Headline framing incident placed inside a named 'US-Iran war' and led by the oil price ×1How hard the claim is stated The denial that it is a war is labelled a claim, while the fighting itself is downgraded to a conflict ×1How hard the claim is stated none — assertion carried as fact ×1 from 6602 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → Le Figaro
Centre-right estimate · not a score
Le Figaro 🇫🇷FR · newspaper · independent Le Trésor américain affirme que les compagnies aériennes iraniennes seront privées de vols dès le 23 septembre Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at Le Figaro → What we have measured Asserted, not attributed the capture of the strait and a "lightning offensive" are stated flat, with no source and no date ×1Asserted vs attributed The mayor's account and his opponents' charge are both attributed. ×1Asserted vs attributed The capture of the strait is stated flat, as settled background to a different story, with no source and no date for the claim. ×1Attacker identified by nationality in the headline ×1 from 7685 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times →

Claims and verdicts

disputed US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said all Iranian airlines will be shut down from 23 September.
Gulf News's headline states it flatly, and we hold no text beneath it. Le Figaro's headline says Iranian airlines will lose their flights, but its text says they could be paralysed, and neither report quotes Bessent directly.
Checked against 2 sources:
Gulf News
State-owned, sometimes critical estimate · not a score
Gulf News 🇦🇪AE · newspaper · independent US Treasury chief says all Iran airlines to be 'shut down' on September 23 Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at Gulf News → What we have measured Headline framing the incident is folded into a named war and led by the oil price; one tanker, not two ×1Headline framing incident placed inside a named 'US-Iran war' and led by the oil price ×1How hard the claim is stated The denial that it is a war is labelled a claim, while the fighting itself is downgraded to a conflict ×1How hard the claim is stated none — assertion carried as fact ×1 from 6602 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → Le Figaro
Centre-right estimate · not a score
Le Figaro 🇫🇷FR · newspaper · independent Le Trésor américain affirme que les compagnies aériennes iraniennes seront privées de vols dès le 23 septembre Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at Le Figaro → What we have measured Asserted, not attributed the capture of the strait and a "lightning offensive" are stated flat, with no source and no date ×1Asserted vs attributed The mayor's account and his opponents' charge are both attributed. ×1Asserted vs attributed The capture of the strait is stated flat, as settled background to a different story, with no source and no date for the claim. ×1Attacker identified by nationality in the headline ×1 from 7685 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times →
unverified The grounding would come from tightened US sanctions.
Only Le Figaro links the date to stronger US sanctions. Gulf News gives no mechanism.
Checked against 2 sources:
Le Figaro
Centre-right estimate · not a score
Le Figaro 🇫🇷FR · newspaper · independent Le Trésor américain affirme que les compagnies aériennes iraniennes seront privées de vols dès le 23 septembre Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at Le Figaro → What we have measured Asserted, not attributed the capture of the strait and a "lightning offensive" are stated flat, with no source and no date ×1Asserted vs attributed The mayor's account and his opponents' charge are both attributed. ×1Asserted vs attributed The capture of the strait is stated flat, as settled background to a different story, with no source and no date for the claim. ×1Attacker identified by nationality in the headline ×1 from 7685 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → Gulf News
State-owned, sometimes critical estimate · not a score
Gulf News 🇦🇪AE · newspaper · independent US Treasury chief says all Iran airlines to be 'shut down' on September 23 Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at Gulf News → What we have measured Headline framing the incident is folded into a named war and led by the oil price; one tanker, not two ×1Headline framing incident placed inside a named 'US-Iran war' and led by the oil price ×1How hard the claim is stated The denial that it is a war is labelled a claim, while the fighting itself is downgraded to a conflict ×1How hard the claim is stated none — assertion carried as fact ×1 from 6602 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times →

Who wrote it

L Lekshmy Pavithran Gulf News
What the bias passes found in their reporting
Stated flat shutdown reported as certain, attributed to the Treasury chief×1
Stated flat the shutdown is presented as certain, with the Treasury chief's word in quotation marks×1
Claims we checked that rest on their reporting
1 disputed1 unverified
From 250 reports we hold under this byline, at Gulf News. Two independent readings, each made without the masthead, a quote attached to every tag. A record, never a rating. Their full record →
L Le Figaro avec AFP Le Figaro
What the bias passes found in their reporting
Asserted, not attributed the capture of the strait and a "lightning offensive" are stated flat, with no source and no date×1
Asserted vs attributed The capture of the strait is stated flat, as settled background to a different story, with no source and no date for the claim.×1
Attacker identified by nationality in the headline; the other two reports do not give it×1
Attacker identified by nationality in the headline×1
Claims we checked that rest on their reporting
4 misleading8 disputed27 unverified22 true
From 3015 reports we hold under this byline, at Le Figaro. Two independent readings, each made without the masthead, a quote attached to every tag. A record, never a rating. Their full record →
The bylines on the reports this story is built from. Hover one for what our passes have measured on their reporting.

Coverage, outlet by outlet

Gulf News
State-owned, sometimes critical estimate · not a score
Gulf News 🇦🇪AE · newspaper · independent US Treasury chief says all Iran airlines to be 'shut down' on September 23 Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at Gulf News → What we have measured Headline framing the incident is folded into a named war and led by the oil price; one tanker, not two ×1Headline framing incident placed inside a named 'US-Iran war' and led by the oil price ×1How hard the claim is stated The denial that it is a war is labelled a claim, while the fighting itself is downgraded to a conflict ×1How hard the claim is stated none — assertion carried as fact ×1 from 6602 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → — independent
Gulf News puts the words 'shut down' in quotation marks and says the halt covers all Iran airlines. We hold its headline only.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned Monday that Iranian airlines will have trouble functioning globally in two days under the weight of American sanctions - as the Trump administration seeks to keep pressure on Tehran.On September 23, "all the Iranian airlines will be shut down around the world," Bessent told CNBC in an interview."If they land, you cannot provide them with fuel, you cannot provide them with landing services, you cannot sell them tickets or you will be knocked out of the dollar system," he added..Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply cl
Stated flat: the shutdown is presented as certain, with the Treasury chief's word in quotation marks — “US Treasury chief says all Iran airlines to be 'shut down' on September 23”
Stated flat: shutdown reported as certain, attributed to the Treasury chief — “US Treasury chief says all Iran airlines to be 'shut down' on September 23”
Read it at Gulf News → https://gulfnews.com/world/mena/us-treasury-chief-says-all-iran-airline…
Le Figaro
Centre-right estimate · not a score
Le Figaro 🇫🇷FR · newspaper · independent Le Trésor américain affirme que les compagnies aériennes iraniennes seront privées de vols dès le 23 septembre Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at Le Figaro → What we have measured Asserted, not attributed the capture of the strait and a "lightning offensive" are stated flat, with no source and no date ×1Asserted vs attributed The mayor's account and his opponents' charge are both attributed. ×1Asserted vs attributed The capture of the strait is stated flat, as settled background to a different story, with no source and no date for the claim. ×1Attacker identified by nationality in the headline ×1 from 7685 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → — independent
Le Figaro's text softens its own headline to 'could be paralysed'. It is the only report to name US sanctions as the cause.
Le ministre américain des Finances Scott Bessent a averti lundi 21 septembre que les compagnies aériennes iraniennes connaîtraient des difficultés à opérer d’ici deux jours sous le poids des sanctions américaines, alors que l’administration Trump cherche à maintenir la pression sur Téhéran. Le 23 septembre, «les compagnies aériennes iraniennes ne pourront plus fonctionner, partout dans le monde», a déclaré Scott Bessent lors d’une interview accordée à la chaîne américaine CNBC. Lorsque leurs avions atterriront, «vous ne pourrez pas leur fournir de carburant, vous ne pourrez pas leur fournir de
Headline claims more than the body: the headline says the airlines 'will be' grounded — “seront privées de vols dès le 23 septembre”
Hedged: the body says they 'could be' paralysed — “pourraient être paralysées à partir du 23 septembre”
Who is named as acting: the United States is the actor in the outlet's own voice; no Iranian voice or passenger appears — “Les États-Unis accentuent la pression sur l’Iran”
Headline versus body: headline states the grounding as certain — “les compagnies aériennes iraniennes seront privées de vols dès le 23 septembre”
Hedged: body turns 'will' into 'could' — “pourraient être paralysées à partir du 23 septembre”
Framing in the report's own voice: measure framed as US pressure, asserted by the report — “Les États-Unis accentuent la pression sur l’Iran.”
Read it at Le Figaro → https://www.lefigaro.fr/international/le-tresor-americain-affirme-que-l…
Checked, didn’t cover
UN News
Spectrum not set estimate · not a score
UN News INT · official record · intergovernmental body No report held from this outlet on this story. What we have measured Actors named Names both vetoing states and the sponsor, and says what the draft would have created ×1Asserted versus attributed share of women and children among the dead given with no source ×1Asserted vs attributed Israel named as acting, stated in the report's own voice ×1Asymmetric verb The Iranian government's crimes are 'confirmed'. The US finding is only 'reasonable grounds'. The two findings are weighted differently in one sentence. ×1 from 439 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times →
Silence is recorded, not inferred — each of these was read when we built this story and carried nothing on this event.
We could not read these
International Court of Justice
Spectrum not set estimate · not a score
International Court of Justice INT · official record · intergovernmental body No report held from this outlet on this story. What we have measured Nothing scored yet. We do not carry a rating for any outlet — only what we have measured from published text. Outlet profile in The AI Times → International Criminal Court
Spectrum not set estimate · not a score
International Criminal Court INT · official record · intergovernmental body No report held from this outlet on this story. What we have measured Nothing scored yet. We do not carry a rating for any outlet — only what we have measured from published text. Outlet profile in The AI Times →
These are must-cite outlets for this desk that we did not manage to read when we built this story. That is a gap in our reach, not a silence on their part, and it is not evidence of anything about this story.

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