U.S. Sanctions Mahan Air Support Network, Intensifying Pressure on Iran's Military Logistics Network

[Financial News, New York = Lee Byung-chul]The United States has imposed additional sanctions on Mahan Air's global support network, targeting the Iranian state-owned airline that Washington says has helped the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) transport personnel and weapons. By adding companies in China, Russia, and India to the sanctions list, the U.S. is stepping up pressure on Iran's military and logistics network on all fronts.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced new sanctions on 30 entities, including individuals and companies in China, India, Russia, and Iran, on the 30th local time. Among them were firms that had served as sales agents for Mahan Air, which is already under sanctions from the United States and the European Union (EU).
The United States views Mahan Air as more than a civilian airline. It says the carrier has played a key logistics role in transporting IRGC personnel, weapons, and drones to the Middle East. The latest sanctions are intended to cut off that support system, the department said.
The sanctions were announced shortly after a gas carrier was hit by a drone attack at Damietta port on Egypt's Mediterranean coast. Markets are interpreting the attack as a sign that the conflict between the United States and Iran could expand into a new front. Concerns are also growing that even the safety of the Suez Canal, a vital route for Saudi Arabia's oil exports, could come under threat.
The Treasury Department also added one shell company linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to the sanctions list. The U.S. government said it believes the company supported military targeting operations by Iran during wartime.
In a statement, the U.S. Department of the Treasury said, "This action is intended to further disrupt the support networks that have backed Iran's destabilizing activities in the Middle East." It added, "We will continue to apply pressure to steadily weaken Iran's military and logistics capabilities."




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