Washington: The US on Thursday imposed economic sanctions on six companies and individuals, including an Indian-based company, for allegedly supporting Iran.
Some Chinese and Russian companies, including India’s Skiez Travels and Logistics Private Limited, have been added to the US blacklist.
According to the US Department of the Treasury, these companies were acting as General Sales Agents (GSA) for Iran’s Mahan Air airline. Mahan Air has been accused of providing support to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) for many years.
Mahan Air has been accused of supporting Iran’s military activities by transporting IRGC personnel, assisting in military training, and facilitating the transport of drone systems and weapons.
Responding to this, US Treasury Secretary Scott Besant said, “Those who provide financial services, logistics, or commercial support to the IRGC or Mahan Air indirectly support terrorist activities. We will continue to identify, expose, and completely exclude such entities from the US financial system.”
What is the allegation against the Indian company?
According to the US Treasury Department, Skyz Travels and Logistics Private Limited, which has offices in Srinagar and Delhi, has been acting as Mahan Air’s general sales representative since 2020. It is understood that the company has been added to the sanctions list for this reason.
The sanctions also apply to China-based Shanghai Wings International Logistics Company, Shanghai Elite International Travel Company, Russia’s Air Cargo Pro Limited and Shanghai Wings’ managing director Tong Xin.
The US has accused Shanghai Wings of coordinating the shipment of electronic equipment from China to Iran. Tong Xin is also said to be the executive director of Shanghai Elite, another general sales representative for Mahan Air in China, and owns a 50% stake in the company.
Action on another IRGC-related company:
At the same time, the US has also imposed sanctions on a company called DadeNegar Startup Studio.
The company is a front company for the IRGC and has been accused of assisting the Iranian military in targeting operations through an online platform.
The US Treasury Department has also accused Dadenegger of attempting to gather information on the location of US and Israeli military equipment. It has also been accused of coordinating with the IRGC to gather information necessary to attack US targets in West Asia.
In the wake of these sanctions, the US assets of the relevant entities and individuals have been frozen, and any transactions with the US financial system have been prohibited.