Armenian Airline accused of being a “Middleman” for Iranian Airline

News

Vertir Airlines, an Armenian company owned by the uncle of the man who heads Armenia’s Civil Aviation Department, has been accused by the U.S. Commerce Department for acting as a middleman for an Iranian airline in order to circumvent U.S. sanctions.

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December 16th, 2013
Arms Industry Sanctions

As reported by Reuters, Vertir Airlines was included in a list of nineteen people and companies that helped Iranian Mahan Air to procure supplies from the United States in violation of current sanction laws.

Vertir is wholly owned by Rafik Movsisyan, the uncle of Artyom Movsesyan, who heads Armenia’s Civil Aviation Department.

The United States has accused Mahan Air of providing funds and transport for Iran's elite forces and flying weapons to Syria.

By Vahe Sarukhanyan, used with the permission of Hetq online newspaper.

For more information about Armenian airlines, see our coverage on the “Turbulent World of Armenian Airlines"