On November4th, the United States’ sanctions on Iran will become fully operational. The Trump administration has warned that there will be major implications for countries dealing with Iran (unless concessions or waivers have been put in place) after this deadline.
Last week, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned that there will be consequences for the countries, individuals, entities that decide to engage with or continue economic activities with Iran.
The U.S. Assistant Secretary Marshall Billingslea also said last week that sanctions on Mahan Air and supporters of the Iranian carrier will be imposed. The airline has been involved with the transporting of weapons and personnel to Syria in a bid to support Bashar al Assad.
The Wall Street Journal reported last week that My Aviation Company Ltd, a Thai company based in Bangkok, has been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department for working with Mahan Air, Iran’s largest airline. The Trump administration stated that the airline was still sending flights to and from Syria and that there are concerns another chemical weapons attack could take place, putting many civilians in danger.
Steven Mnuchin, the U.S. Treasury Secretary, said: “Mahan Air continues to fly into Syria every week, even as millions of innocent civilians in Idlib province are under threat of imminent attack from the murderous Assad regime and its backers in Iran and Russia.”
In 2011, Mahan Air was sanctioned for supporting the elite military unit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the Quds Force. The Quds Force is used by the Iranian regime to fund and manage its numerous proxies across the region. There has been evidence showing that the Iranian airline has been flying fighters into Syria, including photos that have been shared on social media.
Sigal Mandelker who is in charge of sanctions in the U.S. Treasury pointed out: “People do not go on vacation to Syria. They are repeatedly flying fighters and material in and out of Syria.”
The United States has been trying to persuade other countries to cut ties with Iran and it announced earlier this year that the administration expects foreign countries reduce their imports of Iranian oil to zero by November.
The Trump administration has identified the Iranian regime as the number one state sponsor of terrorism in the world and it has spent billions on militias and proxy groups across the region. It has provided valuable assistance to Assad’s regime in Syria and it is almost certain that the Syrian civil would have ended years ago had it not been for the interference of Iran.
The U.S. Assistant Secretary praised the Gulf countries for supporting the United States’ efforts to curb Iran’s influence in the region. The administration has not received much support from European leaders who repeatedly called on Trump to remain within the framework of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
When U.S. president announced that the United States was exiting the deal, he explained that the Iranian regime has enjoyed impunity for far too long and he is making it his mission to ensure this does not continue.
Source » ncr-iran