The US Treasury and State Department announced sanctions on July 30 against six individuals and entities across China, India, Russia, and Iran tied to Iran's Mahan Air airline and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) [1, 2, 3].
The targeted groups include two Chinese companies, Shanghai Wings International Logistics Co and Shanghai Elite International Travel Co, along with Tang Xin, a Chinese executive connected to both firms [2]. Additionally, the US sanctioned DadeNegar Startup Studio, described as an IRGC-affiliated front involved in military targeting and intelligence activities [3].
US officials describe Mahan Air as the IRGC’s "airline of choice" for transporting weapons, military personnel, drones, and equipment globally [1, 2, 3]. Tommy Pigott, a US State Department spokesperson, said, "The United States today sanctioned six entities and individuals in China, India, Russia, and Iran that enable the Iranian regime’s ... IRGC. The Mahan Air Network is the IRGC’s airline of choice for transporting weapons, military personnel and equipment worldwide" [3].
The sanctions freeze any assets held by these parties under US jurisdiction and prohibit US persons from engaging in transactions with them. Foreign financial institutions face potential secondary sanctions if they facilitate significant transactions for the designated entities or individuals [2].
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent noted, "Providing financial or commercial services to the networks sustains a terrorist enterprise" [3]. The move is part of a broader US effort to disrupt Iran’s destabilizing activities in the Middle East, including threats to navigation through the Suez Canal after recent vessel attacks in Egypt [1].
The six sanctions targets were officially announced on July 30, 2026, marking a coordinated effort by the Treasury and State Department to cut off support to the IRGC and its aviation network [1, 2, 3].
