Illegal activities: Iran’s extraordinary triad to buy planes amid international sanctions

Days ago A Strange movement Attracted some attention points Airplanes, aviation enthusiasts who avidly follow the movement of planes around the world, when 4 planes mysteriously disappeared from radar.

Twitter user @Gerjon_, who specializes in tracking flights in the Middle East and Africa, was found Four Airbus A340 aircraftRegistered in Burkina Faso, it departed from Johannesburg (South Africa), but it They disappeared in IranThis can be confirmed in the screenshot of Flightradar24, which he shared on the social network, when the declared route indicated that they should go to Uzbekistan.

Intrigue is instantly relatable Avoiding US sanctions is the Iranian regime’s way of doing thingsIt prohibits aircraft manufacturers from selling aircraft with US-made components to Iranian airlines.

Therefore, through this maneuver, Iran was able to integrate 4 Airbus A340s into the local fleet, French-made aircraft, although they were manufactured until 2011, are more modern devices than the Iranian airlines.

The four planes identified by the crew with the codes MAN3808, MAN3809, MAN3810 and MAN3811 previously belonged to Turkish Airlines, the company that recalled them in March and April 2019. They were later acquired by Avro Global from Hong Kong. It was then moved and stored at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg until late December, when the escape maneuver took place.

In other words, all four devices were stored at the Johannesburg airport for many years Recorded in Burkina Faso, then came to IranIt was announced that they were going to Uzbekistan en route to the flights.

As described by various media outlets, the planes actually landed in Iran, and an Airbus security satellite captured an image. All 4 flights at Mehrabad International AirportIn Tehran, the capital city of Iran.

The image, similar to the mysterious passage, was shared via Kerjon’s tweet, confirming that the devices were landed in Iran.

After confirming suspicions that the planes had landed in Iran, a spokesperson for the Iranian Civil Aviation Authority (CAO) said, Hassan GoshkoAirbus confirmed that the A340s are on Iranian soil and that they were purchased to serve the local airline.

In September, an official at Iran’s air travel service said the lack of tickets and high prices were due to the country’s large number of flights being grounded, Iran International reported.

“Flights belonging to most airlines have landed They need spare parts and it is impossible to supply them Due to restrictions,” he said, only 120 to 130 flights out of about 340 flights are operating.

Iran’s civil aircraft shortage dates back to the 1990s, and since then the regime has used various evasion methods to buy new aircraft or buy spare parts through intermediaries, but despite this the overall condition of its fleet has deteriorated.

In 2015, thanks to the nuclear deal (JCPOA), sanctions on the purchase of Western aircraft were suspended, leading Iran to open negotiations with Boeing and Airbus to purchase new aircraft, although the administration has received some units. Donald Trump It never approved the sale of US aircraft until Washington withdrew from the JCPOA in May 2018, which reinstated sanctions on the Middle Eastern country.

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