Mahan Air serves as a critical conduit for the Iranian regime’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC’s) movement of weapons, operatives, and military equipment worldwide.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated, on July 30, six entities and individuals in China, India, Russia, and Iran, including multiple companies serving as general sales agents for the U.S.- and European Union‑sanctioned Iranian airline Mahan Air.
Although Mahan Air presents itself as a civilian carrier, it has long played a central role in enabling the IRGC, providing travel services for IRGC‑Qods Force personnel, facilitating military training, and supporting Iran’s procurement and transport of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems and weapons.
“Those who provide financial services, logistics, or commercial support to the IRGC or Mahan Air are helping sustain a terrorist enterprise,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. “Treasury will continue to identify them, expose them, and cut them off from the U.S. financial system.”
OFAC is taking this action pursuant to President Donald Trump’s Executive Order which targets terrorist groups, their supporters, and those who aid acts of terrorism, and in furtherance of the President’s National Security Presidential Memorandum 2 which directs the U.S. government to deny the IRGC access to assets and resources that sustain its destabilizing activities.
While it masquerades as a civilian airline, Mahan Air has provided travel services to IRGC-QF personnel for military training, as well as facilitated Iran’s procurement and transport of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems and weapons to and from Iran.
OFAC’s action is aimed at persons, including general sales agents, providing support to Mahan Air. A general sales agent provides a given airline with sales and customer support services and communicates with freight forwarders and shippers on the airline’s behalf.
China-based Shanghai Wings International Logistics Company is serving as a general sales agent for Mahan Air and has coordinated the transport of electronics from China to Iran. China‑based Tang Xin is the managing director of Shanghai Wings and has coordinated travel for Mahan Air. Tang Xin is the executive director and 50 percent owner of China-based Shanghai Elite International Travel Company which also represents Mahan Air in China.
India-based Skiez Travels and Logistics Private Limited and Russia-based Air Cargo Pro Limited also serve as general sales agents for Mahan Air in India and Russia, respectively.
OFAC is also designating DadeNegar Startup Studio, a front company affiliated with Iran’s IRGC, supporting military targeting through the use of a website. DadeNegar solicited locations of American and Israeli equipment to support Iranian military targeting. In coordination with the IRGC, DadeNegar received strike requests for U.S. targets in the Middle East.
The United States is committed to destroying the Iranian regime’s illicit global networks which finance terrorism and regional aggression.