New US Sanctions Against Several Iranian Airlines

On Thursday, the United States added several individuals and companies from Turkey and Iran, as well as a number of aircraft, to its sanctions list targeting four Iranian airlines. The US Treasury Department stated that the sanctioned individuals and entities are connected to Mahan Air, Meraj Air, Pouya Air, and Caspian Airlines. The statement also mentions that several aircraft belonging to Pouya Air and Caspian Airlines have been sanctioned. According to the US Treasury Department, these airlines have been involved in the transfer of weapons, military personnel, and money to Syria and Lebanon. The Treasury has indicated that companies and individuals providing services to these airlines will also face penalties. Steve Mnuchin, the US Treasury Secretary, stated in the announcement: 'The deceptive methods of these airlines to gain illegal access to American services and goods are another example of the misleading tactics employed by the Iranian regime.' The Treasury Department included 'Gol-Nahal Yeganeh,' a Turkish citizen with multi-purpose companies in Istanbul, in the sanctions list. Gol-Nahal Yeganeh owns companies such as 'Trey G Logistics,' 'RI Havacilik,' and 'Trigron Logistics,' which, according to the Treasury Department, have provided services to Mahan Airlines. Mahan Air was sanctioned in October 2011 for allegedly 'funding, supplying, and supporting technology for the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.' According to the Treasury Department's statement, the management of Gol-Nahal Yeganeh's companies, which have access to certain aircraft parts, has provided them to Mahan Iran. These individuals and entities are now on the secondary sanctions list of the US. The US has also added 'Blue Air' airline in Iran and the Turkish aerospace company 'Outik' to the sanctions list due to their connections with Mahan Air. Additionally, two Iranian citizens, Iraj Ronaghi and Touraj Zangeneh, have been sanctioned in connection with Meraj Air. The airline Dena has also been sanctioned for sending parts to Iraj Ronaghi and Touraj Zangeneh, who are linked to Meraj Air. These individuals and the Dena airline are all subject to secondary sanctions. The US Treasury has published a list of identification codes for the aircraft of these companies and stated that any individual or entity granting landing rights or other services to these aircraft will be added to the sanctions list. The list includes 9 aircraft from Caspian Airlines, 5 from Meraj Air, 5 from Pouya Air, and 12 from Mahan Airlines. This is the latest round of sanctions imposed by the US against Iran. Following the US withdrawal from the nuclear agreement with Iran known as the 'JCPOA,' Washington stated it would reinstate sanctions that had been suspended under this agreement. The recent US sanctions go beyond previous ones, and in the next three to four months, the US plans to reinstate sanctions related to the nuclear program. Previously, the US had sanctioned several Iranian individuals for supporting Houthi militants in Yemen. Mike Pompeo, the US Secretary of State, had stated that Iran must comply with 12 demands. He threatened that 'the most severe sanctions will be imposed against Iran.' Iran is currently negotiating with the European Union to explore potential ways to preserve the JCPOA. Other parties to the agreement have expressed their willingness to maintain it. The International Atomic Energy Agency, in its first report after the US withdrawal from the JCPOA, stated that Iran has adhered to restrictions regarding uranium enrichment, the volume of enriched uranium, and other limitations.