Wed, Jul 07, 2010
Accuses Three Countries Of Withholding Fuel For Passenger
Jets
The government of Iran says The UK,
UAE, and Germany have refused to refuel passenger jets belonging to
the national carrier Iran Air, as well as a private airline, Mahan
Air. Mehdi Aliyari, secretary of the Iranian Airlines Union, told
Iranian media the move was the result of unilateral U.S. sanctions
which penalize those doing business with Iran over its nuclear
program. "Refusing to provide fuel to Iranian passenger planes by
these countries is a violation of international conventions,"
Aliyari said.
German officials told the BBC that there was no such ban against
Iranian airliners, and Britain said it was unaware of any such
action.
The new sanctions approved by President Obama last week prohibit
the sale of refined petroleum products to Iran totalling more than
$5 million over a year. The UN Security Council voted last month to
institute a fourth round of sanctions against Iran over its nuclear
enrichment program, which Iran insist is for peaceful purposes, not
atomic weapons development.
The UAE said that it is continuing to refuel Iranian jets, but
the international news service AFP cited a source saying an
"unnamed" fuel supplier had refused service to Iranian jets. The
UK's CAA also said the decision would be left to individual fuel
suppliers, not imposed by the government. Some companies are
reportedly concerned that they might exceed the $5 million
threshold in sales to Iran and then be barred from doing business
in the U.S.
Germany's transportation ministry said there were no EU or UN
sanctions that would prevent the refueling of Iranian planes, but
would not comment on actions taken by individual fuel
companies.
Iran has threatened retaliation for what it perceives as a ban.
"Iran will do the same to ships and planes of those countries that
cause problems for us," said Iranian lawmaker Heshmatollah
Falahatpisheh.
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