'Yes We Can?' U.S. may attempt to have recently acquired Mahan Air aircraft seized at airports outside Iran.

freshly painted in Mahan Air livery, A340-642 reg. EP-MMR (cn 416)

'Yes We Can?' U.S. may attempt to have recently acquired Mahan Air aircraft seized at airports outside Iran. HT: UskowiOniran.

A potential U.S. showdown with Mahan Air over its recent Iraqi-provided Airbus aircraft may be taking shape. According to a Reuters newswire dated 01JUN15:

An Iranian airline that acquired nine passenger jets in defiance of U.S. sanctions will begin using them on international routes this week, the Fars news agency reported on Monday.

Mahan Air, which is blacklisted by Washington, acquired eight second-hand Airbus A340s and one Airbus A321 in early May. The U.S. Treasury imposed sanctions on two firms based in Iraq and the United Arab Emirates on suspicion of helping the purchase.

The A340s will start flying from Tehran to Dubai and Istanbul within two days, and will later be used for long-haul journeys, Fars reported.

[…]

The U.S. Treasury department last month said Mahan Air had a "blockable interest" in the planes, meaning they could be subject to an asset freeze, raising the possibility that U.S. officials may attempt to have them seized at airports outside Iran.

The United States, which has imposed the most stringent sanctions on Iran, a country that is also under European and some U.N. measures over its nuclear activities, bans the sale of aircraft and parts to the Islamic Republic.Read the full story here.