An Iranian airline, linked to the country’s Revolutionary Guard, is reportedly increasing its operational capacity. This development comes despite the airline being under U.S. sanctions for over a decade. The Trump administration had recently intensified efforts to restrict the airline’s activities, aiming to ground its operations due to allegations of transporting cash, weapons, and personnel for the regime.
But after the election of hard-liner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as president in 2005, the Islamic Republic took a more aggressive stand against the West, backing radical allies in the region. Treasury alleged in 2011. In a 2022 interview with The Wall Street Journal after he had stepped down from the company, Marashi said Mahan had little choice but to transport weapons and Revolutionary Guard officers if asked.
“Due to Mahan’s continued use to transfer weapons, the regime is going to look to find ways to keep the airline operating,” said Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior director of the Iran program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. More recently, the Treasury has warned half a dozen countries, including Oman, not to allow the airline to use their airports, people familiar with the matter said. Treasury said Mahan transported arms on behalf of Hezbollah and last year alleged it had expanded its weapon deliveries to Venezuela. “If the army or Sepah ask Iranian companies, they should help them,” he said, using the Iranian shorthand for the Revolutionary Guard.
Meanwhile, the airline continues to make appearances at key moments for Iran and its regional militias. Yemen’s Saudi-backed government struck the runway at San’a International Airport this summer to stop a Mahan Air flight bringing Houthi officials who had attended the funeral for Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei from landing. The attack sparked a new conflict between the Iran-backed militants and Saudi Arabia after a long truce. “Sanctioning doesn’t mean that Mahan has been grounded but raises the cost to Tehran for continuing operating this airline. The new push is designed to complement steps by the U.S. Navy to shut down seaborne traffic through Iranian ports through its blockade. The airline came under the influence of the Revolutionary Guard and its overseas branch, the Quds Force. Mahan flew Quds personnel to Syria during that country’s civil war and to Iraq by bypassing normal security procedures, the U.S. “We will transport it if they pay money. We have to obey. It’s a patriotic obligation.”
