U.S. Embassy warned Iranian Mahan Air airline’s Armenia’s representative of sanctions

Armenian representative of the Iranian Mahan Air airline - Flight Travel LLC - has recently received several warnings by the U.S. Embassy in Armenia. The diplomatic representation reminds that the company has fell under U.S. sanctions. Irrespective of it, though, the company is fully acting with no essential restrictions having been imposed on it till now.

“Frankly speaking, I do not know what to say. I have read the information today. I think it is not right to impose sanctions against Armenia’s citizen working with its neighbor country,” Bella Gevorgyan, company’s director, told Aysor.am, adding that she was informed but still believes that she is to decide with who to work and with who not to.

“Everything is normal currently. As of the moment nothing has happened with only U.S. Embassy creating some small impediments. But I have explained them that Iran is our neighbor country, and an Armenian citizen is free to decide with who to cooperate and with who no,” Gevorgyan said.

The director of the company noted that she had several times met with U.S. Embassy officials who reminded her about the sanctions to be imposed on Iranian companies acting in Armenia which would directly affect the Flight Travel LLC, the Armenian representative of the Iranian Mahan Air airline.

“Now I am waiting for the concrete impact,” Gevorgyan said.

The company's director said no concrete impediments and restrictions are being applied now.

“We are just a little worried. I repeat, it is not correct to impose sanctions against citizens of Armenia. These citizens are able to protect their rights,” she stressed.

Gevorgyan said the embassy officials did not try to make any concessions and claimed about imposing sanctions on Iranian companies in Armenia.

“We have told them that the Armenian authorities are aware of our activity, and I think only our authorities may ban my activity in Armenia,” she said, stressing that if it continues so, she will meet with Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

It has been reported earlier that Flight Air has appeared under OFAC (U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control) sanctions for acting for or on behalf of Mahan Air by serving as a Mahan Air GSA in Armenia. 

OFAC statement released on January 24 said that “A GSA is a third party that provides services to an airline under the airline’s brand, including sales and marketing, administrative services, and financial services,” the statement says, adding that Flight Travel LLC has refused to heed warnings about the risk of sanctions exposure due to commercial support to Mahan Air, and it is now the third company sanctioned by Treasury for acting for or on behalf of Mahan Air as a GSA in the last seven months.”