Private Iranian carrier Mahan Air, accused by US and allies of transporting military equipment to Middle East war zones, on April 8 launched a direct flight to Venezuela.
Iran, like Venezuela subject to US sanctions, is among countries that have voiced support for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro who is under pressure from the Trump administration to step down. Russia, China, and Turkey have also backed Maduro.
Facing heat from the US, France and Germany banned Mahan Air’s flights earlier this year, citing allegations that it transported military equipment and personnel to Syria and other regional war zones.
Iran’s IRIB news agency quoted Iranian Civil Aviation Organisation spokesman Reza Jafarzadeh as saying that the Venezuela route was launched in the early hours, and that the plane was carrying foreign ministry officials to Caracas, along with a Mahan Air delegation that would discuss maintaining regular flights between Tehran and Caracas. The non-stop Tehran-Caracas flight was scheduled to take 16 hours.
Mahan Air was established in 1992 as Iran’s first private airline. It boasts the country’s largest fleet of aircraft.
The US imposed sanctions on Mahan Air as far back as 2011, saying it provided financial and other support to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC).
Related Articles
Iran officials deny reports of 74 bodies discovered at Karaj Dam
Iranian authorities have denied reports claiming 74 bodies were discovered at Karaj Dam following collapsing water levels, Eghtesad Online reported on November 12. ... more
Iran's Tehran Friday prayer leader urges halt to bank overdrafts from Central Bank
Tehran's Friday prayer leader has called for an immediate end to commercial banks drawing unauthorised overdrafts from the Central Bank and demanded reforms to the country's banking system, IRNA ... more
Iran joins CFT amid hopes for banking relief and security concerns
Iran's Expediency Council approved the country's conditional accession to the Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism (CFT), raising hopes for economic opening, Hamshahri Online ... more
Most Read
-
India’s smart metering push gains momentum
4 months ago
-
India’s smart metering push gains momentum
4 months ago