The US Treasury Department has designated nine individuals and entities, including several based in Turkey, for assisting Iranian airlines that are already on America's sanctions lists.
The move, announced on Thursday, is the sixth round of sanctions targeting Iranian activities this month.
The new sanctions come three weeks after President Donald Trump withdrew from the nuclear deal. They are part of the wider US effort to increase economic pressure on Iran and isolate its international networks of support.
The nine individuals and entities were designated for “procuring export-controlled, US-origin goods for sanctioned Iranian airlines” Mahan Air.
The commercial company was designated by the US as a terrorist organisation in 2011 for facilitating arms shipments, personnel travel, and funds between the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its proxies in Syria. Iran is supporting the regime of Syrian President Bashar Al Assad.
The US government also identified 31 aircraft entities of interest as a warning to those doing business with Iranian sanctioned entities.
A number of the entities and individuals designated are based in Turkey.
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Those included “Turkish citizen Gulnihal Yegane and a network of Istanbul-based firms, including Trigron Lojistik, RA Havacilik, and 3G Lojistik, for enabling designated Iranian airline Mahan Air to secure key aviation goods and services and sustain its fleet of Western-manufactured aircraft”, according to the department.
Also designated in Turkey, is Otik Aviation, in connection with Mahan Air.
The list also targeted Iran-based entities and individuals - Blue Airways, Dena Airways, Iraj Ronaghi and Touraj Zanganeh - for acting on behalf of Meraj Air, another private Iranian-based airline.
Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said those designated have been extending “a lifeline to the IRGC-QF (foreign wing of the IRGC, the Quds Force) and enable the Iranian regime to transport weapons, fighters, and money to its proxies, including Hezbollah, and to prop up the brutal Assad regime”.
“Countries and companies around the world should take note of the risks associated with granting landing rights and providing aviation services to the airlines used by Iran to export terrorism throughout the region,” he said.
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
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