Treasury Department imposes sanctions on partners of Iranian airline Mahan Air in China, Russia, and Iran for supporting IRGC

The Treasury Department announced Thursday that it was imposing sanctions on six individuals and companies accused of providing support to Mahan Air, the Iranian airline that Washington links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

According to AFP, those sanctioned include a person based in China and companies located in China, Russia, Iran, and the Indian-administered part of Kashmir.

The U.S. will not stop sanctioning the IRGC's allies

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent justified the measure by stating that, "those who provide financial services, logistics, or commercial support to the IRGC or Mahan Air are helping sustain a terrorist enterprise." Bessent added that, "the Treasury will continue to identify them, expose them, and cut them off from the U.S. financial system."

According to Washington, although Mahan Air operates as a civilian airline offering domestic and international flights, it also provides transportation services to IRGC personnel and facilitates the transport of weapons for that force.

Tehran has repeatedly rejected these accusations, both against Mahan Air and against the state-owned airline Iran Air, considering them unfounded. However, the United States and several of its European allies maintain sanctions against both companies.

Washington intensifies sanctions against Iran's aviation sector

The restrictions have dealt a severe blow to the Iranian aviation sector, which faces serious difficulties in acquiring aircraft, spare parts, and maintenance services.

The new sanctions also target the Tehran-based company DadeNegar, which the Treasury accuses of having requested information on the location of U.S. and Israeli equipment to support Iranian military targeting.

With this decision, Washington is reinforcing its strategy of economic pressure against entities that contribute to the IRGC's activities abroad.