US Treasury sanctions networks supporting Iran’s Mahan Air, IRGC from India, China, Russia

Lead

The United States has imposed new sanctions targeting networks that support Iran’s Mahan Air and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), with actions reaching entities in China, India, Russia, and Iran. The US Treasury Department announced the measures in two rounds, also sanctioning tankers and entities involved in an extortion scheme in the Strait of Hormuz.

Coverage Comparison

Reporting by the Jerusalem Post detailed the sanctions across two separate announcements. One round, reported on July 29, 2026, targeted eight tankers and 10 entities, according to a notice on the US Treasury Department’s website. Six of those entities were based in China, according to the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). The Treasury said over 100 ships have been sanctioned by OFAC since January 2026.

A second round, reported on July 30, 2026, imposed sanctions on six entities and individuals in China, India, Russia, and Iran accused of supporting Mahan Air, which Washington says has facilitated movement of IRGC-Quds Force personnel, weapons, and military equipment. That round also targeted an IRGC-affiliated front company that, per the Treasury, collected information on the locations of US and Israeli equipment and supported Iranian military targeting.

Both reports attributed the information to the US Treasury Department and quoted Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

Key Claims

• The US Treasury issued sanctions on eight tankers and 10 entities on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, as reported by the Jerusalem Post citing a Treasury notice.
• Six of those entities were based in China, according to OFAC’s notice, as reported by the Jerusalem Post.
• Over 100 ships have been sanctioned by OFAC since January 2026, according to the Treasury, as reported by the Jerusalem Post.
• The Treasury identified an IRGC-backed extortion scheme, named “Hormuz Safe,” that forces ships to purchase mandatory maritime “insurance” to transit the Strait of Hormuz. The scheme was established by Iran’s primary insurance regulator and covers risks largely imposed by the Islamic Republic itself, including attacks on ships, with funds intended to finance the regime’s activities, as reported by the Jerusalem Post.
• Regime financier Babak Morteza Zanjani promoted Hormuz Safe on his social media platform, the Treasury noted, as reported by the Jerusalem Post. Zanjani was sanctioned earlier this year, with additional sanctions imposed on Friday targeting individuals and entities in an Iranian financial evasion network.
• On Thursday, July 30, 2026, the Treasury imposed sanctions on six entities and individuals in China, India, Russia, and Iran accused of supporting Mahan Air, which Washington says has facilitated movement of IRGC-Quds Force personnel, weapons, and military equipment, as reported by the Jerusalem Post.
• Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said those providing financial, logistical, or commercial support to the IRGC or Mahan Air are “helping sustain a terrorist enterprise,” as quoted by the Jerusalem Post.
• Bessent also said, “With its economy in freefall and inflation in the triple digits, the regime is desperate for cash,” as quoted by the Jerusalem Post.