Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) has revoked the license of the Iranian regime’s Mahan Air, prohibiting the airline from landing at Saudi airports or flying through Saudi airspace. The decision, announced on July 16 by the state-run Tasnim News Agency, accuses Mahan Air of violating internal regulations and jeopardizing the safety of international operators within Saudi territory.
This move follows a series of incidents reflecting the strained relations between Tehran and Riyadh. On May 29, Iranian state media reported that Saudi Arabia had expelled six members of an “Iranian media team” linked to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s office. The team, comprising of so-called journalists and documentarians from Al-Alam News Network and Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), was detained in Medina on May 22 while filming at the Al-Masjid an-Nabawi mosque. After several hours of interrogation, they were deported back to Iran.
The IRIB Chief, Peyman Jebelli, expressed his surprise at the arrest and deportation, stating that the crew was performing routine duties of recording Quran recitations at the mosque. The arrest came amid heightened rhetoric from Khamenei, who had recently declared the year’s Hajj pilgrimage as a “Hajj of repudiation,” urging a strong stance against perceived adversaries and highlighting causes such as Palestine.
#Iran News:
Saudi Arabia Expels Iranian Media Team Following #Khamenei’s Threatshttps://t.co/SuYnBpeQ7i— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) May 29, 2024
The revocation of Mahan Air’s license and the expulsion of the media team occurred in a historical context of deep-seated mistrust between the two nations. Khamenei’s recent declarations and past incidents, such as the 1987 Hajj clash where Iranian operatives disguised as pilgrims attempted to disrupt ceremonies in Saudi Arabia, underscore the longstanding tensions.
The incident also comes amid a recent call between Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the clerical regime’s president-elect Masoud Pezeshkian, as reported by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) and Iranian state media. They discussed the progress in bilateral relations and emphasized the need to expand cooperation in various fields.
This duality of confrontational actions and diplomatic dialogue illustrates the intricate and often contradictory nature of Iran-Saudi relations. As Tehran grapples with strategic setbacks and domestic challenges, it continues to pose a complex threat to regional stability, deploying operatives under various disguises while publicly demonstrating it intends to normalize relations with its neighbors.
Mahan Air was first designated by the U.S. Treasury on October 12, 2011, for providing support to the IRGC-QF, facilitating the transport of weapons and personnel. Subsequent sanctions on March 24, 2016, and May 21, 2018, reinforced these measures, highlighting Mahan Air’s role in aiding terrorist activities. On July 9, 2018, further sanctions targeted entities assisting Mahan Air’s operations, emphasizing the airline’s continued involvement in transporting military equipment to conflict zones and supporting terrorist groups like Hezbollah in Syria.
