The US House of Representatives on Wednesday adopted measures to prevent sales of commercial aircraft to Iran, a close ally of the Assad regime and which supports the war the Assad regime has launched against the Syrian people for over 6 years.
Rep. Peter Roskam (R-Ill.) said that the US should refrain from selling the aircraft to Iran given the country’s history of using commercial aircraft to transport resources, like weapons and troops, to support the Assad regime.
“Until Iran ceases using commercial aircraft to support terrorists and war criminals, western companies ought not be allowed to sell Iranian airliners more aircraft that they can use to fuel Assad’s brutal war,” Roskam said during House floor debate.
The Iranian regime has transported thousands of militiamen from Tehran to Damascus via civilian aircraft over the past six years, Roskam said.
The New York Times on late August cited Naim Qassem, Hezbollah’s deputy secretary general, as proudly acknowledging his organization’s efforts to pass its “rich militant experience to other Iranian-aligned forces.”
Newspapers reports in recent weeks indicated that Iran uses commercial aircraft to transport militiamen to Damascus International Airport.
Phillip Smyth, a University of Maryland researcher who studies militant groups, on late August said that more than 10,000 Iraqi fighters were in Syria during the battle for Aleppo last year, in addition to thousands from other countries. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department + Agencies)
