U.S. sanctions two UAE companies for backing Iran's Mahan Air

The U.S. on Wednesday announced sanctions on two companies based in the United Arab Emirates that the Treasury Department accused of assisting Iran’s Mahan Air that has been blacklisted by the Trump administration.

Parthia Cargo and Delta Parts were both designated, the department announced, for providing material support to the Iranian airline.

The Department of Justice on Wednesday also filed a criminal complaint against Parthia Cargo for facilitating shipments of goods from the U.S. to Iran, including commercial aircraft parts.

“The Iranian regime uses Mahan Air as a tool to spread its destabilizing agenda around the world, including to the corrupt regimes in Syria and Venezuela, as well as terrorist groups throughout the Middle East,” said Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

The newest round of sanctions freeze all U.S. assets held by the blacklisted companies and prohibits them from conducting business with Americans.

The announcement comes less than a week after Israel and the UAE announced a landmark peace deal establishing formal diplomatic ties between the two countries.

The agreement makes the UAE, a key U.S. partner, the third Arab nation after Egypt and Jordan to have established active diplomatic ties with Jerusalem.

The Treasury Department said that the services provided by the sanctioned companies opened the door for Mahan Airlines to maintain its business and “support the Iranian regime’s destabilizing agenda through activities that include the transportation of terrorists and lethal cargo to Syria to prop up the murderous Assad regime.”