The United States’ Treasury Department added the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Shipping Lines (IRISL) group and Mahan Airlines to the list of its sanctions.

The US Treasury Department announced on Wednesday that three offices of Mahan Airlines in UAE and Hong Kong have been sanctioned.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a press conference that Mahan Air has been sanctioned for its participation in the production and distribution of weapons of mass destruction.

According to Secretary of Treasury Steve Mnuchin, the regime of Iran is using its maritime shipping and air-travel industries to provide weapons for terrorist and militia groups in the region, and it is directly involved in humanitarian crises in Syria and Yemen.

The US Treasury Department also sanctioned Abdul-Hossein Khedri and several companies tied to him for providing transport and participating in smuggling operations for the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The assets of these companies and individuals in the United States will be frozen and any person or organization that would deal with them will also be sanctioned.

The US government has pointed out that the IRISL has forged documents and maps to cover the transport of ballistic missiles for Iran’s Aerospace Industry Organization and Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group.

Sanctions against Mahan Airlines will be implemented immediately. Previously, Germany and France had sanctioned Mahan Air and Italy is too join them soon.