US sanctions India's Skiez Travels for alleged support to Iran's Mahan Air
The United States has imposed sanctions on six entities and individuals, including India-based Skiez Travels and Logistics Private Limited, for allegedly supporting Iranian airline Mahan Air, which Washington says has helped sustain Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced the measures on July 30, 2026, targeting companies operating as general sales agents (GSAs) of Mahan Air. The Treasury alleged that Mahan Air, while presenting itself as a civilian carrier, has long supported the IRGC by providing travel for IRGC-Quds Force personnel, facilitating military training, and aiding the movement of unmanned aerial vehicle systems and weapons.
“Those who provide financial services, logistics, or commercial support to the IRGC or Mahan Air are helping sustain a terrorist enterprise,” Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent said in a statement. He added that the department will continue to identify, expose, and cut off such entities from the U.S. financial system.
Skiez Travels, which has offices in Srinagar and Delhi, stated on its website that it began representing Mahan Airways as its general sales agent in 2020. The company is one of the five GSAs designated in the latest action. The others are China-based Shanghai Wings International Logistics Co., which has coordinated the transport of electronics from China to Iran, Russia-based Air Cargo Pro Limited, and Shanghai Elite International Travel Co.
In addition, the Treasury designated Tang Xin, managing director of Shanghai Wings, who also serves as executive director and 50 percent owner of Shanghai Elite. The department said Tang Xin has coordinated travel for Mahan Air.
Separately, the Treasury designated DadeNegar Startup Studio, an Iran-based front company affiliated with the IRGC, for allegedly supporting military targeting through a website. The department claimed that DadeNegar solicited locations of American and Israeli equipment to support Iranian military targeting, and, in coordination with the IRGC, received strike requests for U.S. targets in West Asia.
The sanctions freeze any U.S. assets of the designated entities and individuals and generally prohibit U.S. persons from engaging in transactions with them. The action is part of Washington’s broader pressure campaign against Iran’s military and financial networks.
Mahan Air has been under U.S. sanctions since 2011, when the Treasury accused the airline of providing financial and logistical support to the IRGC. The latest designations are aimed at disrupting the airline’s sales and supply chains, particularly in Asia and Russia. Iranian authorities in the past have rejected similar accusations, maintaining that the airline operates purely as a civilian carrier.
There was no immediate response from Skiez Travels or the Iranian government to the sanctions announcement.
