Iran defies sanctions and intends to fly A340s on long-haul international routes

Despite sanctions issued against Iran in relation to its nuclear program by the US and also being blacklisted by the US, Iran’s country’s principal airline, Mahan Air, has acquired eight Airbus 340s and one Airbus A321, making it clear that in the near future it intends to use the A340s for long-haul international flights. The US has made its stance unequivocal by indicating that they see Mahan Air as having a “blockable interest” in these planes, which means that they could be subject to an asset freeze and that Washington could seize them when on foreign territory. However the Iranian response to such threats is equally clear according to the Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA) who confirmed that Alireza Jahangirian, head of Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization, had stated that “As long as… a disruption has not taken place, we cannot make a definite assertion. But if it happens, Iran will take legal action.” Jihangirian also added that “America does not have the right to stop our planes on international trips… Under international laws, it is impossible to seize the new Iranian aircraft.”
The Fars news agency revealed on June 1 that the four-engine A340s would commence flying from Tehran to Dubai and Istanbul, and would then be used on long-haul routes. The four-engine planes are the only option for long-haul flights for the airline as Mahan Air do not hold the necessary approvals needed to fly two-engine aircraft on long-haul routes. The intention of the airline is to fly the newly acquired planes between Iran and Dubai and Istanbul before moving to the long-haul option. It is also believed that new scheduled routes will include Athens in Greece, Milan in Italy, Phuket in Thailand, and Sochi in Russia. However the US Treasury has imposed sanctions on two firms based in Iraq and the United Arab Emirates on suspicion of assisting Mahan Air in the purchase of these new aircraft – currently sanctions forbid the sale of whole aircraft to the country, restricting sales to parts only. However the sale of parts to Iran came about as a result of the loosening of sanctions on the country by the world’s six superpowers back in 2013, and the country is hoping that further sanctions will be lifted to allow Mahan Air to operate on long-haul destinations. Iran intends to take legal action if Washington tries to stop these newly acquired aircraft flying international routes, the head of the Iran’s aviation authority announced.