Nineteen people and companies in Europe and Asia acted as middlemen for Iranian airline Mahan Air, helping it procure supplies from the United States in violation of U.S. sanctions, the U.S. Commerce Department said, Reuters news agency reports.

A majority of these companies and people are based in Turkey, and others are in Armenia, Greece, Iran, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates. They included Greece’s Aeolian Airlines and Armenia’s Vertir Airlines, both small charter firms.

Mahan is one of only four Iranian airlines that has passed international safety audits, despite being blocked from legally buying U.S. spare parts.

Under an interim deal reached between six world powers and Iran last month to ease a decade-long standoff over Tehran’s nuclear program, Iran will be allowed limited purchases of aircraft parts and repairs, meant to help restore old aircraft that have faced a raft of safety issues.

In response to Armenian News-NEWS.am’s query, Armenian Government-Affiliated General Department of Civil Aviation (GDCA) Press Secretary Nelly Cherchinyan informed that the aforementioned Vertir Ltd. is registered in Armenia as airlines, but it ceased its activities in October 2011.  

Cherchinyan added that the GDCA has never been aware of not solely any official information, but also of related such information, with respect to any illegal activities by Vertir Ltd.