OFAC airs thoughts on ‘destabilising activity’ of Iranian airlines
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (‘OFAC’) of the US Department of the Treasury has published an advisory, which, it says, highlights the way that Iranian commercial airlines have been used by the regime in activities which destabilise the region – for example, ‘furthering the…agenda’ of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corp, and the Qods Force, and ‘flying fighters from their proxy militias across the region.’
Announcing the advisory, Sigal Mandelker, Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence said, ‘Lack of adequate compliance controls could expose those operating in the civil aviation industry to significant risks, including civil or criminal enforcement actions or economic sanctions.’
The advisory highlights the extent to which ‘general sales agents and other entities that continue to provide services to U.S.-designated Iranian airlines like Mahan Air remain at risk of sanctions actions,’ and warns that ‘potentially sanctionable activities – when conducted for or on behalf of a designated person – could include:
- Financial services
- Reservations and ticketing
- Freight booking and handling
- Procurement of aircraft parts and equipment
- Maintenance
- Airline ground services
- Catering
- Interline transfer and codeshare agreements
- Refueling contracts.’
