U.S. Seeks Forfeiture of China-Registered G550 Jet for Exceeding 72-Hour Iran Stay
A China-registered Gulfstream G550 business jet is facing forfeiture by the U.S. government after allegedly remaining in Iran for six days, exceeding the 72-hour limit permitted under U.S. sanctions. The aircraft, manufactured in the U.S., flew from Beijing to Tehran on December 13, 2024, and departed on December 19, 2024. U.S. prosecutors contend that this movement constituted a re-export from China to Iran, requiring a Commerce Department license that was never issued by the Bureau of Industry and Security. While the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) General License J-1 allows temporary trips to Iran, it caps them at 72 hours, a condition the G550 reportedly violated. The complaint states that OFAC did not issue a license for the aircraft to remain beyond this period. The jet is currently in FBI custody in the Eastern District of Virginia, and the action does not involve criminal charges, allowing the owner, Deer Jet, to contest the forfeiture.
