Iran censures halt in IATA services

Iran’s national airline has criticized the International Air Transport Association (IATA) for preventing the Islamic Republic from using its payment settlement services.

Civil Aviation Organization of Iran Chairman Farhad Parvaresh said on Monday that the decision is a violation of international law and the IATA articles of association, ISNA reported.

The IATA is not obliged to implement US laws and sanctions, and Iran Air has officially asked the organization to revoke the decision, Parvaresh stated.

He noted that the IATA is funded by its member airlines and is bound by its articles of association to support them, adding that he has written a letter of protest to the IATA secretary general.

“The United States, under the pretext of the sanctions, has pressured the IATA to halt services that are within our rights… We pay membership fees to the IATA, and all its international members use its services,” Parvaresh said.

The IATA closed its payment services to Iranian citizens using the state-owned airline Iran Air due to the sanctions imposed on the country.

Chris Goater, the spokesman of the Geneva-based IATA, said on Monday that the decision was made in accordance with the economic and political sanctions imposed on Iran by the United States, adding that according to the terms of the sanctions, the organization is obliged to suspend Iran Air’s ticket payment transactions.

The United States has imposed unilateral sanctions on Iran to pressure it to halt its uranium enrichment program.

Iran Air has been facing US sanctions since 1995. Washington has forbidden the sale of Boeing spare parts to the airline. The European Union followed suit in 2010 when it began preventing Iran’s civilian aircraft from using its airspace.