Iran Is Still Using Pseudo-Civilian Airlines to Resupply Assad | Washingtoninstitute

While some international sanctions against Iranian civil aviation have been lifted, Tehran’s insistence on using Mahan Air and other companies to send personnel and weapons to Syria may jeopardize the industry’s future.
As the aviation community and international media fixate on recent Boeing and Airbus orders by Iranian airlines, Tehran continues to quietly purchase secondhand aircraft and parts through smaller companies, actively circumventing terrorism-related sanctions against certain airlines and individuals. By combining military and civil aviation components, Iran seeks to bolster its regional airlift capability, but any companies associated with such activity — even indirectly — are putting themselves in the crosshairs of U.S. sanctions policy.