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WASHINGTON: The United States has imposed fresh sanctions on a network of entities and individuals in India, China, Russia and Iran, accusing them of helping Iran’s Mahan Air and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) circumvent existing US sanctions.
The sanctions, announced by the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), target six entities and individuals alleged to have provided logistical, commercial and financial support to the sanctioned Iranian airline.
Washington has long accused Mahan Air of serving as a transport network for the IRGC-Qods Force, alleging that it has been used to move weapons, personnel and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Iran has consistently denied such allegations.
“Those who provide financial services, logistics or commercial support to the IRGC or Mahan Air are helping sustain a terrorist enterprise,” US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement.
“Treasury will continue to identify them, expose them, and cut them off from the US financial system,” he added.
The latest sanctions focus on companies that allegedly acted as general sales agents (GSAs) or commercial intermediaries for Mahan Air, enabling the airline to continue operating despite longstanding US restrictions.
Among those sanctioned are Shanghai Wings International Logistics Co. and Shanghai Elite International Travel Co. of China, along with managing director Tang Xin. According to the Treasury Department, Shanghai Wings coordinated shipments of electronics from China to Iran while supporting Mahan Air’s commercial operations.
The sanctions also target Skiez Travels and Logistics Private Limited of India, which US authorities identified as Mahan Air’s principal commercial and customer support partner in the country.
In Russia, Air Cargo Pro Limited was designated for allegedly providing freight forwarding and logistics services to the Iranian airline.
The Treasury Department said disrupting these commercial partners is intended to weaken Mahan Air’s ability to transport cargo and passengers internationally.
The United States also sanctioned DadeNegar, an Iranian company it alleges served as a front organisation for the IRGC. According to US authorities, the company supported IRGC intelligence activities, including gathering information on American and Israeli facilities during a period of heightened regional tensions.
The announcement comes amid continued instability in the Middle East and follows recent attacks on commercial shipping and regional infrastructure that Washington has blamed on Iran-backed groups.
Under the new measures, any assets belonging to the designated individuals or entities under US jurisdiction will be frozen. US citizens and businesses are prohibited from conducting transactions with them.
The sanctions may also have broader international implications through so-called secondary sanctions. Foreign banks and financial institutions that knowingly facilitate transactions involving the designated entities risk losing access to the US financial system, increasing pressure on global businesses to sever ties with the sanctioned network.