US sanctions six entities and individuals over support for Iran's Mahan Air network

The United States has imposed sanctions on six entities and individuals, including India-based Skiez Travels and Logistics Private Limited, over allegations that they supported Iranian airline Mahan Air and helped sustain what Washington described as a terrorist enterprise. The Treasury Department announced the measures on Thursday, saying the network acted as a set of general sales agents and logistics firms linked to the airline. The action adds to a wider campaign by Washington to restrict financial and commercial channels it says are used to support Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

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Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said anyone providing financial services, logistics or commercial support to the IRGC or Mahan Air was helping sustain a terrorist enterprise. He said the department would continue identifying, exposing and cutting off such firms from the US financial system. According to the Treasury Department, Skiez Travels has offices in Srinagar and Delhi and says on its website that it has represented Mahan Airways as its general sales agent since 2020.

The department also said Mahan Air has long supported the IRGC by arranging travel for IRGC-Quds Force personnel, helping with military training and aiding the movement of drone systems and weapons. The other entities named include China-based Shanghai Wings International Logistics Co, Russia-based Air Cargo Pro Limited and Shanghai Elite International Travel Co. Treasury said Shanghai Wings helped coordinate the transport of electronics from China to Iran, while Tang Xin, a China-based individual, is managing director of Shanghai Wings and has arranged travel for Mahan Air.

The department said he is also executive director and half-owner of Shanghai Elite, which represents Mahan Air in China. Another designated entity, DadeNegar Startup Studio, was described by Treasury as a front company linked to the IRGC that supports military targeting through a website. The sanctions matter because they target the commercial infrastructure that can help move people, goods and services across borders even when direct state-to-state channels are restricted.

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By naming firms in India, China and Russia, the US is signalling that it is prepared to pursue networks it believes help Iran maintain external support systems. The measures also highlight how aviation, logistics and travel agencies can become part of broader national security disputes when they are accused of facilitating military or intelligence-related activity. Mahan Air has long been a focus of US scrutiny, with Washington alleging that the airline has been used to support the IRGC rather than operate solely as a civilian carrier.

The Treasury Department's latest action extends that pressure to general sales agents and related companies that help the airline maintain international reach. For India-based Skiez Travels, the designation raises the prospect of financial and operational disruption if counterparties seek to avoid any exposure to US sanctions risk. What remains unclear is how the named companies and individuals will respond, and whether any of them will challenge the allegations.

The Treasury statement did not provide details of any immediate enforcement beyond the designations themselves. The next developments to watch are whether the sanctions affect the firms' access to banking, travel and cargo services, and whether additional names are added to the network in future actions.

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