Argentina seizes Iranian Mahan Air aircraft, confiscates passports

At least some of the five Iranian passengers who had their passports confiscated are suspected of ties to the IRGC.

A Mahan Air Boeing 747-400 (photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)
A Mahan Air Boeing 747-400
(photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)

Argentina immobilized an Iranian Mahan Air cargo plane on Sunday that was leased to a Venezuelan state-owned airline, according to Iranian media and confirmed by Argentine Security Minister Fernandez Anibal.

The flight was en route from Mexico and landed in Argentina on Sunday.

Confiscated passports

The passports of five Iranian passengers traveling on the plane were confiscated, some of whom are allegedly linked to the IRGC, according to Iran International, a Saudi-sponsored, London-based Iranian news television station.

The five passengers were identified as Mohammad Khosravi Aragh, Gholamreza Ghasemi, Mahdi Mouseli, Saeid Valizadeh and Abdolbaset Mohammadi.

 An Airbus A310 of Iranian private airline Mahan Air is seen at Sanaa International airport following its first flight to Yemen from Iran, in Sanaa March 1, 2015. (credit: REUTERS/MOHAMED AL-SAYAGHI)
An Airbus A310 of Iranian private airline Mahan Air is seen at Sanaa International airport following its first flight to Yemen from Iran, in Sanaa March 1, 2015. (credit: REUTERS/MOHAMED AL-SAYAGHI)

The US imposed sanctions on Mahan Air after it suspected that it was providing support to the IRGC.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is currently visiting Iran, and the two nations signed a 20-year cooperation deal on Saturday.

This is a developing story.