The US Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), on February 5, temporarily suspended the export privileges of Turkish national Gulnihal Yegane and three affiliated companies for allegedly illegally transferring US-made engines and spare parts to Iran's Mahan Air (W5, Tehran Mehrabad).
According to the BIS, Yegane, her company Trigron Lojistik Kargo Limited Sirketi, as well as affiliated firms Ufuk Avia Lojistik Limited Sirketi and RA Havacilik Lojistik Ve Tasimacilik Ticaret Limited Sirketi, deceptively acquired engines and spare parts and then smuggled them to Iran for Mahan Air's use.
The temporary denial order issued against Yegane and the three companies is valid for 180 days but can be extended. It cuts off not only the right to export from the United States but also the right to receive or participate in exports from the country.
Mahan Air has been sanctioned by the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) since 2011 for allegedly supporting the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. As such, it is banned from procuring goods and services from the United States.
According to the ch-aviation fleets module, Mahan Air currently operates two Boeing aircraft, a B747-300(SCD) and a B747-300(M). Both are 32 years old and are currently stored at Tehran Mehrabad. The latter, EP-MND (msn 23413), last flew in November 2017, while the other has not been active during the last year, Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows.
Mahan Air also operated three B747-400s in the past, of which two are currently stored at Tehran Mehrabad and one at Tehran Imam Khomeini.
