The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has tightened sanctions against Mahan Air (W5, Tehran Mehrabad) targeting two British individuals and two UAE firms for their alleged links to the Iranian carrier.

In its latest bulletin, OFAC blacklisted two UK-based individuals, Jeffrey Ashfield of Aviation Capital Solutions, and John Meadows, for their alleged support for Mahan Air. Meadows is alleged to have provided aviation parts and financing to the Iranians while Ashfield is alleged to have been involved in negotiating the purchase of a US-manufactured aircraft engine on behalf of Mahan Air during the latter part of 2015. His firm, Aviation Capital Solutions, is also said to have facilitated the purchase of aircraft engines and other services on behalf of Mahan Air.

In the UAE, two firms, Grandeur General Trading FZE and HSI Trading FZE, have been blacklisted, again for allegedly providing material and financial support to Mahan Air.

OFAC claims Grandeur General Trading has, since 2011, acted as a representative in MRO agreements, negotiated the purchase of aircraft, and made a payment on behalf of Mahan Air. For its part, HSI Trading FZE is alleged to have worked to provide financial assistance to Mahan Air by transferring funds to assist with the carrier’s business acquisitions since 2015. HSI Trading FZE has also acted as an intermediary in negotiating the purchase of aircraft on behalf of Mahan Air, OFAC added.

Mahan Air has been sanctioned by the US since 2011 on account of its alleged support for the IRGC-Qods Force (IRGC-QF), and for assisting Bashar al-Assad regime and Hizbollah in Syria and Lebanon respectively.