The European Council has imposed sanctions on Iran Air and two other Iranian airlines after accusing the carriers of transporting military drones to Russia for use in President Putin’s “war of aggression” against Ukraine.
In a statement, European lawmakers said they made the decision to impose sanctions, including asset freezes, against Iran Air, Mahan Air, and Saha Airlines after Iran recently supplied Russia with ballistic missiles.
Along with the three airlines targeted by the EU, two procurement firms and seven Iranian officials, including Iran’s Deputy Defence Minister Seyed Hamzeh Ghalandari and prominent officials of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Qods Force, have been slapped with sanctions.
The sanctions include asset freezes and a travel ban across the European Union.
State-owned flag carrier Iran Air currently serves six destinations across Europe, including Paris, Cologne, Hamburg, Milan, Rome and Vienna. The carrier also flies to London Heathrow, where British officials are likely to impose similar sanctions on the airline.
Neither privately owned Mahan Air or state-owned Saha Airlines currently serve any destinations in Europe or the UK but could be affected by asset freezes.
Explaining its decision, the Council of Europe said the three airlines had “been used repeatedly to transfer Iranian-made unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and related technologies to Russia, which have been used in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.”
In July, the EU passed legislation that allows it to impose sanctions on individuals and entities who are in any way involved in Iran’s program of supplying Russia with UAVs for use against Ukraine.
Despite the sanctions, the EU said it “does not intend to impede air traffic or people-to-people contacts between the Union and Iran in general.”
Due to escalating tensions in the Middle East and the threat of an imminent counterstrike by Israel against Iran, Germany’s Lufthansa Airline has suspended all services to Tehran until October 26 at the earliest.
Iran Air has previously been banned from flying to the EU and UK. The airline was listed on Europe’s Air Safety Register between 2010 and 2016 and then for a short time in 2020.
