A U.S.-Sanctioned Iranian Aircraft Landed in Venezuela

According to Reuters, the Qeshm Fars Air aircraft belonging to Mahan Air landed in Venezuela. This aircraft began its operations to transport cargo and personnel under orders from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The United States and Iran have not commented on this matter.

Reuters news agency reported on Wednesday, November 6 (October 28), citing a Venezuelan opposition representative, about the landing of an Iranian Qeshm Fars Air aircraft in Venezuela. The United States had previously sanctioned the Qeshm Fars Air aircraft, accusing it of transporting weapons and Revolutionary Guard personnel to Syria.

The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned the “Qeshm Fars Air” aircraft, which is under the control of “Mahan Air,” in January 2019. Mahan Air had been previously sanctioned by the United States. At that time, the U.S. Treasury Department also placed Flight Travel LLC, which was based in Armenia and was marketing for “Mahan Air,” on its sanctions list.

The operations of the “Qeshm Fars Air” aircraft were dormant until 2017, when it resumed carrying passengers and cargo to Damascus on orders from the Revolutionary Guard Corps using two B747 aircraft.

In the Reuters report, it was stated that the EP-FAB 747 aircraft belonging to Qeshm Fars Air landed in Venezuela at a time when commercial relations between Iran and Venezuela, two OPEC members whose oil industries are subject to increasing U.S. sanctions, are expanding.

However, the Reuters report made no reference to the cargo of the Qeshm Fars Air aircraft.

José Manuel Olivares, a representative in the National Assembly for the coastal state of Vargas, wrote on Twitter that the aircraft landed at Maiquetía Airport.

Data from the flight tracking website Flightradar24 show that the Iranian aircraft reduced its speed toward Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, around 4 p.m. local time. It is stated that the aircraft made stops in Tunisia and Cyprus before the flight to Venezuela.

Venezuela’s Ministry of Information did not respond to Reuters’ inquiry about the landing of this aircraft in the country. However, this is not the first time that Iranian aircraft have flown to Venezuela.

In early 2020, Mahan Air conducted more than twelve flights to help repair Venezuelan refineries and transferred the necessary materials for Venezuelan refineries.

Iran also sent three fuel tankers to Venezuela to alleviate the severe fuel shortage in this South American country.

The expansion of Iran-Venezuela relations has drawn criticism from U.S. officials.

Mahan Air Flights to Venezuela

On Sunday, November 5 (October 25), the United States warned that it would destroy a possible shipment of Iranian long-range missiles for the Maduro regime.

Elliot Abrams, the U.S. Special Representative for Iran and Venezuela, told Fox News that the United States would prevent the sending of Iranian missiles to Venezuela and would destroy possible Iranian missile shipments for the Maduro regime.

Abrams stated that the transfer of long-range missiles from Iran to Venezuela is unacceptable to the United States. He emphasized that the United States will work to stop the transfer of long-range missiles to Venezuela, and if these missiles reach Venezuela, they will be destroyed there.