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The U.S. Treasury Department alleged on Tuesday that a Türkiye-based air transport company facilitated the transfer of three U.S.-origin Boeing B-777 aircraft to Iran’s Mahan Air, with the firm and two other Turkish companies added to a new sanctions list targeting Tehran’s aviation sector.
The department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated Izmir-based air transportation company 'Sky Phoenix', saying the company served as an intermediary in the scheme alongside UAE-based ECT Aviation Support LLC.
The aircraft were transferred in summer 2026 after being diverted through the United Arab Emirates and Oman. Each plane originated from a retired fleet before passing through ECT Aviation Support, where it received a temporary registration, OFAC said.
The other two logistics companies designated under the sanctions were 'S Sistem' and 'Mes Cargo.'
According to the statement, S Sistem was accused of coordinating shipments on behalf of Mahan Air, including unmanned aerial vehicle components and industrial equipment destined for Iran. Mes Cargo served as a general sales agent for Mahan Air and coordinated shipments on behalf of the airline, the department said.
S Sistem, part of Türkiye’s Solmaz Group, runs logistics operations spanning customs warehousing, domestic and international transport, bonded transit and air cargo at major Turkish airports, including Istanbul, Ankara Esenboga, Izmir Adnan Menderes and Antalya.
The company has also expanded into Kazakhstan in recent years, pursuing a roughly $100 million network of logistics and warehouse terminals in Almaty, Astana, Shymkent and Aktau. The company is also developing a 15,000-square-meter multimodal logistics hub at Aktobe Airport with Kazakhstan’s Kazpost, according to Kazakh government and media reports.
Mes Cargo provides general sales agency, cargo airline management, and charter services and represents several international carriers in Türkiye. It manages more than 3 million kilograms of cargo annually through its GSA operations, according to its website, which lists TAP Portugal, Mauritius Airlines, Tunisair and Uzbekistan Airlines among its airline partners.
The three Turkish companies were among 36 targets in the measures, which also covered 27 Iranian airlines. Treasury said the action targeted foreign intermediaries and other networks that help Iran obtain aircraft, parts and sensitive technology.
Mahan Air, a privately owned Iranian carrier based in Tehran, operates passenger and cargo services from its main hub at Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport.
The airline has been under U.S. sanctions for more than a decade. Treasury first designated Mahan Air in 2011, accusing it of providing financial, material, and technological support to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force.
Despite the restrictions, Mahan Air continues to operate international routes. Current flight records show services between Istanbul and Tehran, including flights in early September and one scheduled for Sept. 14. The airline also lists Istanbul and Ankara among its destinations in Türkiye.
The carrier has continued to maintain an international network despite the restrictions, serving destinations across the Middle East, Asia, and Europe. Its operations include both passenger flights and cargo services, making access to aircraft and aviation equipment important to maintaining its fleet.
As a U.S. manufacturer, Boeing is subject to U.S. export controls, making Mahan Air’s acquisition of U.S.-origin Boeing jets particularly sensitive under Washington’s sanctions regime.
Treasury said Iran had long used front companies and pass-through entities in third countries to conceal the ultimate Iranian end user of U.S.-origin aircraft and aviation-related materials.
The department urged the civil aviation industry to remain alert to deceptive practices used by Iranian entities and their affiliates to acquire U.S.-origin aircraft, goods, technology and services subject to U.S. jurisdiction.
Alongside the designations, OFAC suspended three Iran-related aviation authorizations, including permissions for overflights and for non-U.S. airlines to fly U.S.-origin or U.S.-controlled commercial aircraft into Iran. Aviation safety-related requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis, OFAC said.
The measures blocked property and interests in property belonging to designated persons that were in the United States or under the possession or control of U.S. persons. Entities directly or indirectly owned 50% or more by blocked persons were also subject to the blocking rules.
The move came days after the Treasury sanctioned Türkiye-based Golden Global Investment Bank and two of its subsidiaries as part of an action targeting Iran’s financial networks in Türkiye.
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