Iran carrier begins direct flights to Venezuela

Iran's second largest airline has begun direct flights to Venezuela, as the two countries cultivate closer ties in the face of US sanctions. Iran's official IRNA news agency says Mahan airline's first flight to Venezuela left Tehran on Monday carrying a Foreign Ministry delegation. The US blacklisted Mahan in 2011 after accusing it of providing support to the Quds Force, an elite unit of Iran's Revolutionary Guard. The carrier recently halted flights to Germany and France due to US sanctions over its alleged military transport flights to Syria, where Iran supports President Bashar Assad's forces. <br/>