Pilot of Airline linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Dies from Coronavirus

A pilot of Tehran-based Mahan Airline, believed to operate under control of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has died from Coronavirus.

Saudi Gazzette quoting agencies reported that Asghar Loran, the deceased pilot flow with Mahan Airline. It was not mentioned when the pilot last  operated a flight and if he had been hospitalized from the disease.

Mahan Air stands accused of smuggling weapons to Iran’s proxies in the region on behalf of the Quds Force, the overseas arm of the IRGC. Mahan Air operated some 55 flights a week to various Chinese  cities  such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen until February 25.

Mahan airline, partly owned by the Revolutionary Guard, was designated by the US Treasury in 2011 for “facilitating its support to terrorism across the Middle East.”

The airline conducts several flights to Iraq, Syria and Lebanon among several  destinations in the Middle East, China and Russia which its detractors  say are flights to transport weapons and terrorists a charge which Iran stoutly denies.