Caspian Airlines, one of Iran's private airlines that was established in 1993, is based in Tehran, with its main hub in Maherabad International Airport. The airline boasts a modern fleet of American aircraft, operating regular flights to major cities in Iran, Turkey and Iraq. The CEO of Caspian Airlines is Adel Noor Ali, who is also the vice chairman of the board. However, Caspian Airlines also serves as a crucial component of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps' (IRGC) logistical operations, transporting military personnel, weapons and funds to its proxies and allies in Syria and Lebanon. Despite EU sanctions since 2012 and US sanctions since 2014, Caspian Airlines continues to use front companies to illegally procure spare parts for its aging fleet of American airplanes. In 2018, the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated nine pf Caspian Airlines' aircraft, effectively preventing them from landing and receiving services in Western countries. Additionally, nine entities and individuals were designated for facilitating the procurement of parts for the Iranian airlines' fleets.
Caspian Airlines primarily used Russian Tupolev airplanes, but switched to a fleet composed of five McDonnel Douglas airplanes, all 25-40 years old, and five BAoeing airplanes, most of them sanctioned. As a designated entity that supports terrorism, Caspian Airlines relies on front companies around the world to illegally procure spare parts for its airplanes, bypassing Western sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering regulations. An investigation into the Caspian Airlines leak reveals that Dozens of companies, primarily based in the UAE, Turkey, Germany and France, are engaging in criminal deception for financial gain on behalf of a sanctioned Iranian aviation company. These companies are purchasing spare aircraft parts, from engines to coffee makers, from authorized providers of original parts, unaware of the ultimate destination of the sold items. The middlemen, however, intentionally international financial systems to conceal their role in buying the parts for a designated terrorism-linked Iranian entity.

Caspian Airlines suspended its regular flights to Syria in June 2022 due to safety concerns of its crew after a series of attacks that that temporarily shut down the airport in Damascus. A year after, open-source reports indicated Caspian air resumed its flights between Damascus International Airport and Imam Khomeini International Airport. Media reports claimed that the flights were renewed following an agreement between President Assad and late President Raisi during the latter's visit to Syria in May 2023 to promote tourism between the countries. However, the proximity of the newly restored flights to airstrikes on IRGC-related sites in the area raises suspicions on the timing of their return. As of early October 2024, Caspian Airlines once again cancelled all of its flights to Syria for an unknown reason, and has not reinstated them until this moment.

The Iranian regime has been exploiting its civilian and commercial aviation industry for years to support its activities. It is now time to expose the companies knowingly enabling the regime's actions, evading sanctions and facilitating its illicit activities. The international community must hold these companies accountable, taking action against those undermining global security and stability and supporting terrorism.