Background

Mahan Air is Iran's second-largest airline, founded in 1991 and based in Tehran. Despite its commercial designation, the US has documented links between Mahan Air and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), with the airline appearing on OFAC's sanctions list since 2011 for providing transportation services to the IRGC and Hezbollah. US allies including Germany and the UK subsequently banned Mahan Air from their airspace.

On 24 April 2026 OFAC's fifth nonproliferation round (bulletin sb0465) designated the airline's Boeing 777-200ER registered EP-MTB, targeting the specific aircraft as part of Iran-Turkey-UAE missile and drone procurement chains. The aircraft joins a pattern of Mahan Air assets designated for their role in logistics operations that support Iranian weapons programmes.

Mahan Air's continued operation under sanctions reflects Iran's layered sanctions evasion architecture. The airline uses third-country intermediaries and registration transfers to keep aircraft in service. The EP-MTB designation targets the asset directly, aiming to impede transfers and maintenance access rather than ground the airline entirely. OFAC's Iran-Turkey-UAE designation cluster indicates the procurement chain runs through nominally neutral commercial jurisdictions. The event record includes and .

Common Questions

Reference

Is Mahan Air linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guard?

Yes. OFAC has sanctioned Mahan Air since 2011 for providing transportation services to the IRGC and Hezbollah, and Germany and the UK subsequently banned it from their airspace.Source: OFAC

Did Mahan Air resume flights to Russia in 2026?

Yes. Mahan Air operated the first Tehran-Moscow flight on 28 April 2026 after a 60-day suspension tied to the war, resuming three-times-weekly service in both directions.Source: Mahan Air

Why was a Mahan Air Boeing 777 sanctioned by the US?

OFAC designated Mahan Air's Boeing 777-200ER, registered EP-MTB, in sanctions bulletin sb0465 on 24 April 2026, targeting Iran-Turkey-UAE Ballistic missile and drone procurement chains.Source: OFAC

Is Mahan Air still flying during the Iran war?

Mahan Air continues to operate internationally despite sanctions. OFAC's April 2026 designation of its EP-MTB aircraft targets a specific asset used in Iran-Turkey-UAE Ballistic missile and drone procurement routes.Source: https://ofac.treasury.gov/recent-actions/20260424

Why is Mahan Air sanctioned by the US?

Mahan Air has been on OFAC's sanctions list since 2011 for links to the IRGC, providing transportation and logistical support to designated entities. In April 2026 OFAC designated its Boeing 777-200ER EP-MTB in the fifth Iran nonproliferation round.Source: https://ofac.treasury.gov/recent-actions/20260424

What happened to Mahan Air's overseas sales agents in July 2026?

OFAC designated Mahan Air's general sales agents in China, India and Russia on 30 July 2026, extending the airline's sanctions exposure beyond its own aircraft.Source: OFAC

How the World Sees Them

Iran

Tehran denies IRGC control of Mahan Air and frames US sanctions as economic warfare against Iranian civil aviation.

United States

OFAC treats Mahan Air as a chronic sanctions evader and IRGC logistics asset; the EP-MTB designation extends a 15-year sanctions relationship to specific aircraft involved in active procurement chains.

European Union

Germany and the UK have banned Mahan Air from their airspace since 2011; the EU has followed US designations on Mahan assets selectively.