The US Treasury Department announced new sanctions on July 30 targeting global networks that support Iran's Mahan Air. Six entities and individuals operating in China, India, Russia, and Iran were added to the sanctions list.
The Treasury said these entities and individuals acted as sales representatives for Mahan Air, which is under US and European Union sanctions. Washington accuses Mahan Air of transporting weapons and drones along with Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps personnel.
On the day the sanctions were announced, a drone attack targeted gas tankers at Egypt's Damietta port on the Mediterranean coast. The attack has the potential to threaten navigation in the Suez Canal, a key export route for Saudi oil, and raises concerns about opening a new front in US-Iran tensions.
The Treasury Department also sanctioned a front company linked to the Revolutionary Guards that same day, which it said supported Iran's 'kinetic targeting' during the war.
The Treasury said, 'Today's action further disrupts the network that underpins Iran's destabilizing activities in the region.'