US imposes sanctions against two Ukrainian airlines for support of Iranian air carriers

The Treasury Department of the United States informed about this on Friday.

“Combined, Bukovyna Airlines and Um Air have exported dozens of aircraft to Iran since 2010. Bukovyna and Um Air have upwards of twenty five aircraft in Iran now that are registered in their names. Aircraft provided by Bukovyna have been used by Mahan Air to fly to Syria on numerous occasions,” a statement reads.

In addition, the U.S. Treasury Department notes that the Um Air was also actively assisting Mahar Air by helping to train and certify Mahan pilots and engineers on BAe-146 aircraft.

Sanctions against two designated Ukrainian companies were imposed jointly with another two companies Kyrgyztransavia (Kyrgyzstan) and Sirjanco Trading LLC (UAE). All four mentioned companies, as Washington believes, served as “intermediaries for the acquisition of aircraft by Mahan Air and Iran Air as Iran continues to move illicit cargo to Syria for the Assad regime's violent crackdown against its own citizens.”

The restrictive measures against the mentioned airlines are a part of the U.S. efforts to strengthen pressure on Iran and aimed against attempts of the Iranian companies to circumvent the earlier imposed sanctions.