By Melanius Alphonse
Caribbean News Now associate managing editor
[email protected]
CARACAS, Venezuela — A delegation of Iranian officials arrived in Venezuela on Monday on a new direct Mahan Air flight from Teheran to Caracas.
Mahan Air, which is Iran’s largest and oldest private airline, was blacklisted in 2011 by the United States. The US accused Mehan Air of providing support to the Quds Force, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard.
The United States views Mahan Air’s launch of a direct flight from Tehran to Caracas as a “politically motivated gesture” with “no commercial reason,” a White House official said on Monday.
Mahan Air recently halted flights to Germany and France due to US sanctions over its alleged military transport flights to Syria, where Iran supports President Bashar Assad’s forces.
