The US Treasury Department announced on Thursday the inclusion of nine individuals and Iranian airlines and companies, engaged in the import of spare parts for Iranian aircraft, on the US sanctions list and the list of international terrorists for their role in supporting the regional activities of the Revolutionary Guards. “The facilitators designated by the Treasury today have been procuring parts and providing services for the fleets of sanctioned Iranian airlines, including Mahan Air, Caspian Air, Meraj Air and Pouya Air. In so doing, they extend a lifeline to the IRGC-Quds Force and enable the Iranian regime to transport weapons, fighters, and money to its proxies, including ‘Hezbollah’, and to prop up the brutal Syrian regime of Bashar Assad,” said Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin in a statement. He added: “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. The deceptive practices these airlines employ to illegally obtain services and US goods is yet another example of the duplicitous ways in which the Iranian regime has operated.” This is the second time sanctions have been imposed on Iran after US State Secretary Mike Pompeo announced on Monday a new strategy to confront Tehran’s threats. The Treasury imposed sanctions on five Revolutionary Guard commanders for their role in training Houthi forces in Yemen on the manufacturing of ballistic missiles and sending money to the militias. Washington also targeted three individuals, one from Turkey and two from Iran, who it said were linked to the airlines and aviation firms. The US Treasury also designated “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 statement. “Today’s actions are the result of a US Government-wide effort to prevent the procurement of US-export controlled goods by designated Iranian airlines through individuals and entities in third countries, demonstrating the United States’ commitment to enforcing existing sanctions and to targeting those that support terrorism,” Mnuchin said in the statement. Meanwhile, Pompeo on Thursday answered questions raised by US lawmakers on his policy towards Iran. He rejected Tehran’s support of the Houthi militias against the legitimate government in Yemen and the firing of Iranian-made rockets against the Saudi capital. Pompeo also said Iran’s support for “Hezbollah” has expanded the group’s terrorist activities beyond the Lebanese border into Syria. The party has been financed with Iranian funds and is part of Iran’s strategy to launch terrorist operations around the world, he stressed.