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France Bans Iran’s Mahan Air amidst Accusations of Involvement in War Zones

France announced on Monday that it had revoked the license for the Iranian airline Mahan Air to operate in the European nation, accusing it of transporting military equipment and personnel to Middle East war zones. The decision, reported by Reuters, will officially commence on April 1. It follows a January decision by Germany to revoke the airline’s operating license there. The moves come amidst growing pressure by the United States to weaken Tehran, primarily through sanctions it re-imposed after the Trump Administration withdrew from a 2015 deal designed to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. On March 22, the US Treasury Department added to the economic effort by imposing sanctions on 31 people and entities associated with the Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research, an Iranian body that has employed people taking part in the country’s nuclear development efforts. “The United States will continue applying maximum pressure to the Iranian regime, using all economic tools to prevent Iran from developing weapons of mass destruction,” Steven Mnuchin, the US treasury secretary, said in a statement.