Five Boeing 777s Secretly Delivered To Iran – Learn How They Bypassed Sanctions

Tuesday, July 22, 2025

Flouting world sanctions, Iran has softly acquired 5 Boeing 777-200ER airliners and already has taken possession of these and different of its precocious acquired craft to bypass restrictions connected nan usage of American-made parts, FlightGlobal said. These planes, antecedently successful nan fleet of Singapore Airlines, were refitted and surreptitiously flown into Iranian airspace — a maneuver Iran has kept pivoting to successful nan hunt for ways to evade a bid of crippling world sanctions. Mahah Air, which has ties to nan authorities of Iran, is building up its fleet pinch these latest additions — starring to questions of really nan state manages to outsmart world scrutiny.

Covert Operations: Flying Five Boeing 777s to Iran

In a stunning illustration of breaking sanctions, Iran has secretly taken successful 5 ex-Boeing 777-200ER aircraft. The planes were portion of nan fleet of Singapore Airlines, which operated them from 2001 to 2018 earlier transferring them to a Thai airline, L.C.NokScoot. But nan jets had been placed successful retention for respective years aft NokScoot’s illness earlier they were pressed into work again successful May 2023, erstwhile they were transferred to Iran via opaque and untrackable routes.

They are understood to beryllium destined for Iran’s Mahan Air, which is still nether US sanctions. What is truthful different astir this transportation is that it was conducted secretly, cutting nan corners of nan highly restrictive punishment that bans Iran from buying planes that are equipped pinch a important number of American-made parts.

A Familiar Tactic: Off-the-Radar Flights

The transportation of these Boeing jets is portion of a agelong pattern. The planes were stored astatine Siem Reap Angkor International Airport successful nan Cambodia for respective weeks, from July 4 to July 15. And erstwhile 1 of nan planes, pinch nan tail number 5R-HER, yet took disconnected to alert to Iran, it did truthful nether nan radar, some figuratively and literally. The plane, nan ADS-B transponder of which was intentionally switched disconnected while flying complete Afghanistan, and frankincense for a conception of its flight, became untraceable.

This conscious effort to debar discovery isn’t a caller thing. In erstwhile concealed transfers, for example, nan planes person flown on nan aforesaid trajectory — going disconnected radar and past coming backmost into position arsenic they crossed into Iranian airspace. Such a maneuver has been portion of Iran’s strategy to get Western-built aircraft, moreover successful nan look of terrible world sanctions.

A Long History of Secret Aircraft Deals for Iran

This astir caller move is not an aberration. Over caller years, Iran has many times recovered ways to debar world restrictions to clasp and grow its aging fleet. For instance, successful April 2023, 2 Hong Kong Airlines Airbus A330-200s were flown by outer navigation from Oman to Tehran without immoderate search signals being activated. In nan aforesaid measurement successful May 2023 2 Airbus A340-200 were handed complete from Indonesia to Iran wherever they entered connected a clone registration successful Mali and arrived successful Iran. The planes, antecedently belonging to nan French Air and Space Force, are now thought to beryllium nether nan power of Meraj Air, a further Iranian hose that is connected to nan state.

And astir recently, successful 2024, Iran reportedly smuggled 2 A340s successful from Lithuania, having been re-registered and diverted disconnected people connected its measurement to nan Philippines to subsequently onshore successful Tehran. These maneuvers travel aft a bid of efforts to outwit world scrutiny and support live a fleet pinch which to service Iran’s interests.

Sanctions and Their Impact connected Iran’s Aviation Fleet

The accumulative sanctions person purposefully trim disconnected Western-built craft from entering nan country. Iran is not allowed to bargain planes pinch much than 10% US-made parts but this applies not only to Boeing planes but besides to Airbus models. Iran’s commercialized fleet is 1 of nan oldest successful nan world, and galore of its planes person been grounded because of a deficiency of spare parts and attraction support. And by immoderate estimates less than 200 of Iran’s astir 330 registered craft are presently operational.

The signing of nan Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) successful 2016, however, temporarily opened up an opportunity for Iran to upgrade its fleet. Iran placed multibillion-dollar orders pinch Boeing, Airbus, and ATR during that time. But erstwhile nan US reintroduced sanctions successful 2018, nan worth of these deals became nil, and Iran was backmost connected indirect channels for commercialized aircraft.

The Outlook for Aviation successful Iran

Even arsenic Iran wrestles pinch nan load of crippling sanctions, it is uncovering ways to upgrade its fleet. Through methods for illustration re-registrations, opaque ownership structures and off-the-radar ferry flights, nan state has been capable to evade world sanctions and get commercialized aircraft. Obviously, it allows Iran to support its aerial fleet successful work and active, but it besides puts a large dent successful nan conception of world authorities’ capabilities to enforce sanctions.

For nan clip being astatine least, Iran’s aviation assemblage appears apt to stay nether nan radar, pinch further craft transfers group to return spot arsenic nan state attempts to statement up its roster of planes. Although world efforts person tried to isolate nan country’s aerial sector, nan ongoing utilization of these covert operations demonstrates really persistent and defiant Iran remains successful defying nan limitations imposed upon it.

What Does This Mean for International Sanctions?

The repeated evasion of specified sanctions by Iran’s aviation manufacture reflects nan difficulties that world enforcement authorities confront. The truth that these planes tin beryllium brought backmost to life, and past flown to Iran pinch minimal to nary interference from world authorities is concerning pinch respect to nan soundness of nan aviation sanctions regime.

As Iran deepens its ties pinch consenting countries and nonstate actors, nan acheronian money flows are apt present to enactment — astatine slightest 1 of nan underhanded substance transportation is serving a dual purpose, successful different ways, of nan country’s aviation strategy. The mobility is still to beryllium answered: really will nan world respond to this continuing mockery?