(WASHINGTON, DC) – The United States has imposed new sanctions on companies and individuals accused of supporting the operations of Iranian airline Mahan Air, expanding efforts to disrupt networks linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The US Department of the Treasury said six entities and individuals based in China, India, Russia and Iran had been added to its sanctions list. The measures include several companies acting as general sales agents for Mahan Air, which is already under US and European Union sanctions.
The Treasury said that although Mahan Air presents itself as a civilian airline, it has long played a central role in supporting the IRGC by providing travel services for members of the IRGC Quds Force, facilitating military training and assisting Iran’s procurement and transport of drones and weapons.
“Those who provide financial, logistical or commercial support to the IRGC or Mahan Air help sustain terrorist activity,” US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said.
The Treasury said the sanctions further weaken the network underpinning Iran’s destabilising activities across the region by targeting organisations that support Mahan Air’s global operations.
Those sanctioned include Chinese company Shanghai Wings International Logistics Co and its director Tang Xin, Indian company Skiez Travels and Logistics Private Limited, and Russian company Air Cargo Pro Limited. According to the Treasury, all serve as general sales agents for Mahan Air.
The US Government also sanctioned DadeNegar, describing it as an IRGC linked front company operating as a start up studio. The Treasury said the company supported Iranian military objectives through its website by collecting information on the locations of US and Israeli military equipment to assist Iranian military operations.
The announcement follows additional sanctions recently introduced by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) against networks linked to Iran.