Dbarta24 International Desk — The United States Department of the Treasury has slapped fresh sanctions on six individuals and corporate entities based across China, India, Russia, and Iran, accusing them of providing crucial goods, logistics, and commercial services to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and designated commercial carrier Mahan Air.
The enforcement action was formally announced on Friday (July 31) by the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
Washington stated that the targeted crackdown aims to dismantle the global operational web supporting Mahan Air—an airline heavily sanctioned for transporting weapons and personnel on behalf of the IRGC, which the US classifies as a foreign terrorist organization.
Scope of the Sanctions
According to Treasury Department Senior Associate Editor Jehilotinn, the blacklisted targets include Shanghai-based commercial firms, a Russian air cargo agency, and several General Sales Agents (GSAs) operating across multiple jurisdictions.
Under the new restrictions, all assets and property interests belonging to the designated individuals and entities within the United States or under the control of US persons are blocked.
Furthermore, US citizens and entities are strictly prohibited from engaging in financial transactions with them.
Foreign financial institutions that knowingly facilitate significant transactions for these blacklisted entities also risk secondary sanctions, potentially severing their access to the US banking system.
Firm Warning from Washington
Stressing Washington’s resolute stance against actors facilitating Iranian military operations, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reaffirmed the administration’s long-term strategy.
“Any individual or entity providing financial and logistical support to the IRGC or Mahan Air is actively enabling acts of terrorism. We will continue to cut off such parties from the US financial system,” stated US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
Beyond financial pressure, sources indicate that the US continues to maintain military pressure on Iran through naval blockades around key Iranian ports alongside targeted airstrikes.
Mahan Air and IRGC’s Economic Web
While Mahan Air officially maintains that it operates as a purely civilian commercial airline, the US government has long alleged that the carrier acts as a covert transport arm for the IRGC’s elite Quds Force, moving military hardware and fighters to proxy conflict zones. Mahan Air has consistently dismissed these allegations as politically motivated.
The IRGC wields influence far beyond traditional military operations, controlling a vast business empire in Iran.
Through its primary engineering wing, Khatam al-Anbiya, and the IRGC Cooperative Foundation (Bonyad Taavon Sepah), the paramilitary group holds major stakes in national infrastructure, oil and gas, real estate, and banking sectors.
Western intelligence agencies have repeatedly accused the corps of funding its international operations via shadow oil trades, front companies, smuggling operations, and cryptocurrency channels to bypass global trade barriers.
Strategic Context
The latest round of sanctions represents a continued escalation of the Trump administration’s “maximum economic pressure” strategy targeting Tehran’s financial lifelines.
As of Friday, neither the Iranian government nor the newly sanctioned entities and individuals have issued an official response to the designations.