Mahan Air EP-MMR operating flights to Milan and Shanghai

Mahan Air EP-MMR on 25JUL15 at Milan–Malpensa Airport
[photo: Gustavo Petullo]

Mahan Air Airbus A340-642, reg. EP-MMR (cn 416) has recently been operating flights to Milan–Malpensa Airport (MXP) and Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG).

EP-MMR is one of nine Airbus aircraft recently obtained by Mahan Air with Iraqi assistance, circumventing U.S. sanctions in effect against the airline for assisting IRGC-QF in support of Lebanese Hezbollah and the Syrian Arab Republic, as well as MODAFL and IAIO. With the signing of JCPOA, U.S. sanctions against these recently obtained Mahan Air aircraft appear  effectively suspended.

Mahan Air Airbus A340-311, reg. EP-MMB (cn 056) on 17JUN15 at at Milan–Malpensa Airport (see below)

[photo: Simone Previdi]

According to AnnaAero:

Mahan Air... started twice-weekly (Wednesdays and Saturdays) flights from its Tehran Imam Khomeini (IKA) hub to Milan Malpensa (MXP) on 17 June – its 54th global destination. Although the inaugural service was operated by one of the carrier’s A340s, the service is intended to be flown by its A310 fleet. Iran Air will provide the only direct competition on the 3,711-kilometre airport pair, also flying twice-weekly on the route. The sector becomes Mahan Air’s seventh into Europe, and closely follows the start of services to Munich earlier this summer.

Attractive Mahan Air flight crew members at Milan–Malpensa Airport

[photo: AnnaAero]

Iran Navy commander tours Shanghai Naval Base

Above: Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari and his host Senior Captain Wang Yung at Shanghai Naval Base

According to Irib.ir:

Iran's Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari and Shanghai Naval Base Commander Wang Yung stressed the vital importance of the expansion of Tehran-Beijing military cooperation for the reestablishment of sustainable peace and tranquility to the region.

Sayyari, who is in China at the invitation of the Chinese Navy, paid a visit to the Shanghai naval base on Monday afternoon.

The Commander of the Shanghai Base welcomed Rear Admiral Sayyari and the accompanying delegation, and called the visit unique in the history of military-naval cooperation between the two countries.

He said that this is the first ever visit of an Iranian Navy commander to China and called it a turning point in bilateral naval ties.

Rear Admiral Sayyari, for his part, referred to historical background of bilateral ties in the naval ground and stressed that promotion of friendly cooperation between the two forces has special importance for Iran.

He expressed the hope that his visit to China would pave grounds for bilateral cooperation between the two naval forces.

Sayyari arrived in China on Monday morning to confer with senior Chinese military officials on the expansion of Tehran-Beijing military relations.

A high-ranking military delegation is accompanying Admiral Sayyari in his trip.

COMMENTARY: Observing an increasing uptick in official naval visits taking place among the Iran Navy and PLA Navy, as well as Iran Navy and Russian Navy. Military exchanges include:

- 19DEC12, Russian Navy vessel docks at Iran's port city of Bandar Abbas

- 21APR13, Russian Navy vessels dock at Iran's port city of Bandar Abbas

- 04MAY13, Iranian Navy vessels dock at China's port city of Zhangjiagang

- 30JUN13, Iran Navy vessels dock at Russia's port city of Astrakhan

- 20OCT13, Official visit to Iran by by Russian Air Force Commander

- 07MAY14, Official visit to China by Iranian Defense Minister Hossein Dehqan

- 23MAY14, Official visit to Russia by Iranian Defense Minister Hossein Dehqan

- 20SEP14, Chinese Navy vessels dock at Iran's port city of Bandar Abbas

- 13OCT14, Russian Navy vessels dock at Iran's port city of Bandar Anzali

- 20OCT14, Iran Navy commander visits Shanghai Naval Base

Senior Captain Wang Yung presents gift to Rear Admiral Sayyari at Shanghai Naval Base

Photos: Fars News Agency

Iranian delegation at Fourth Summit of CICA - pictorial

President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation with President Hassan Rouhani of the Islamic Republic of Iran 

President Hassan Rouhani of the Islamic Republic of Iran with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov of the Russian Federation 

President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation with Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran Mohammad Javad Zarif

President Hassan Rouhani of the Islamic Republic of Iran with President Xi Jinping of the People's Republic of China

President Nursultan Nazarbayev of the Republic of Kazakhstan  with President Hassan Rouhani of the Islamic Republic of Iran

President Mahinda Rajapaksa of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka with President Hassan Rouhani of the Islamic Republic of Iran

President Hassan Rouhani of the Islamic Republic of Iran with President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj of Mongolia, President Hamid Karazi of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and President Mamnoon Hussain of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Behind them and to the right is President Ilham Aliyev of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon of the United Nations with delegation from the Islamic Republic of Iran

Seated dignitaries at the Fourth Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia

Group photo of dignitaries at the Fourth Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia

Photos: Mehr News Agency

Rouhani trip to Shanghai aboard Mahan Air A310

Aircraft: Airbus A310-304
Operator: Mahan Airlines
Reg: unidentified
Date: 20 May 2014
Location: Shanghai, China
Photographer: Mohammad Hossein Velayati (Mehr News Agency)

Notes: Interesting choice of civil air carrier and aircraft to fly president to CICA Summit, likely taken as Mahan Airlines experienced by regular service to Shanghai: Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKA / OIIE) to Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG / ZSPD).