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Did Iran Air Become 'Jihadi Air' Under Nuclear Deal?

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The American Center for Law and Justice is speaking out against the Obama-era Iran Nuclear Deal, claiming it resulted in the state-controlled air carrier, Iran Air, becoming "Jihadi Air."

"Iran got money - billions of dollars. Iran got enormous sanctions relief," Jordan Sekulow, executive director of the ACLJ, wrote in an email. "In fact, Iran used that sanctions relief to transport jihadist militants on commercial planes to the battlefield in Syria."

If true, that violates international laws governing the Iran Nuclear Deal.

"Today, we're delivering significant legal demands against Obama holdovers in the deep state bureaucracy to unearth the disastrous details of how Iran Air became 'Jihadi Air,'" Sekulow continued.

The ACLJ executive director also spoke out in a recent blog on the topic, writing about sending new Freedom of Information Act requests this week:

"We are demanding that four key agencies involved with the Iran Deal – the State Department, the Department of the Treasury, the National Security Agency (NSA), and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) – give us the records that will show what they knew about Iran Air's use of civilian airliners to transport military personnel and equipment. What they knew matters because, in the Iran Deal, they agreed to let Boeing and other plane manufacturers sell airplanes to Iranian airliners like Iran Air." 

The Washington Free Beacon reported in August that leaders in Congress want an investigation into Iran over the accusations that it used Iran Air to transport militant fighters to Syria, allegedly to help President Bashar al-Assad.

"Using social media and public flight tracking websites, any person with a computer can document Iranian military transports to Syria on commercial jets," Rep. Peter Roskam, R-Ill., told the newspaper. 

"Iran Air continues to support the Iran-Assad war machine to this day, and the Trump administration must hold the airline accountable and work to stop them," he continued.

According to the Free Beacon, Roskam and a delegation of Republican congressmen requested that the Treasury Department look into photographic evidence which allegedly shows Iran transporting militants into Syria on Iran Air.

"We believe these photos mandate a thorough investigation of these practices and a comprehensive review of Iran's illicit use of commercial aircraft," the lawmakers wrote in a letter to the Treasury Department.

CBN News reached out to The Office of Barack and Michelle Obama for comment from President Obama. The Office has not yet responded to our inquiry.

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About The Author

Mark
Martin

Mark Martin currently serves as a reporter and anchor at CBN News, reporting on all kinds of issues, from military matters to alternative fuels. Mark has reported internationally in the Middle East. He traveled to Bahrain and covered stories on the aircraft carrier, the U.S.S. Dwight D. Eisenhower. Mark also anchors CBN News Midday on the CBN Newschannel and fills in on the anchor desk for CBN News' Newswatch and The 700 Club. Prior to CBN News, Mark worked at KFSM-TV, the CBS affiliate in Fort Smith, Arkansas. There he served as a weekend morning producer, before being promoted to general