A Venezuelan plane has been blocked in Buenos Aires, Argentina, since June 8th. According to the country’s Justice Department, there is “a suspicion that the alleged reason for entering Argentina may not be true.” As Paraguayan authorities warned, the Iranian pilot would be linked to the Al-Quds force, an organization classified as a terrorist by the United States.
The Boeing 15, from Emtrasur , an affiliate of Venezuela’s Conviasa, targeted by US sanctions, is being called in Argentina “mysterious boeing”. The latest Argentine investigations reveal that the plane belonged to the Iranian company Mahan Air, which transferred it to Emtrasur, for which it was registered again in January 2022.
However, Mahan Air is considered by Washington to be linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. The carrier is accused by the US Treasury of carrying out arms and militia transfers between Tehran and its allies in the Middle East. In response to the suspicions, a spokesperson for the Iranian company announced in June 12 that the Boeing no longer belonged to him.
Suspected relationship with terrorism
Before landing in Argentina, the plane passed through other Latin American countries, such as Mexico and Paraguay. On June 8, the aircraft, with 19 crew on board, five Iranians and fourteen Venezuelans, attempted to land in Uruguay, but was denied access. The Uruguayan government said it did not accept the landing due to information received from foreign agencies.
Iranian passports were confiscated in Buenos Aires. The pilot, Gholamreza Ghasemi, generated greater suspicion. His name matches that of a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard. Last Wednesday (15), the Argentine Minister of Security, Anibal Fernandez, said that it is just a homonym. The Minister of Intelligence of Paraguay, Esteban Aquino, announced that “Captain Gholamreza Ghasemi is not just a namesake, he is linked to Al-Quds”.
Relations between Iran and Venezuela
Caracas and Tehran strengthened ties in June 11 by signing a twenty-year cooperation agreement. The Israeli Embassy in Argentina then expressed in a statement its “concern” about the activity in Latin America of Iranian airlines, suspected of “arms trafficking”.
The belongings of the crew of the ” mysterious boeing” were confiscated by the Argentine justice, which has not yet concluded the investigations.