US Justice Department seeks forfeiture of Gulfstream G550 after flight to Iran — AeroTime

The US Department of Justice has asked a federal court in California to allow the government to forfeit a China-registered Gulfstream G550 business jet. Federal agents seized the aircraft in Anchorage, Alaska, in May 2026, more than a year after its return from Iran, AeroTime reports.

Flight to Tehran

The civil forfeiture complaint filed on October 28 concerns a 2012 Gulfstream G550 with registration number B-8259. The aircraft is registered to Deer Jet (Beijing) Co., Ltd. According to US prosecutors, on December 13, 2024, the jet flew from Beijing to Tehran and returned to China on December 19.

Prosecutors claim that the aircraft spent six days in Iran. At the time, a general license issued by the US Department of the Treasury allowed certain foreign-registered civil aircraft to remain in Iran for up to 72 hours, provided other requirements were met. According to prosecutors, the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control did not grant B-8259 permission to stay longer.

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Position of US authorities

Prosecutors also state that US authorization was required for the flight from China to Iran. Because the Gulfstream G550 was built in the United States, the flight is considered a re-export under US export control rules. The US Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security, prosecutors claim, did not issue a license for this flight.

The aircraft was seized under a court warrant after landing in Anchorage on May 24, 2026. At the time the complaint was filed, the jet was under FBI control in Virginia. The Justice Department is asking that all persons claiming an interest in the aircraft be given an opportunity to challenge the forfeiture. If the court supports the US government's request, the aircraft may be sold or retained for official use.