ICAO: Europe must refuel Iran planes

The International Civil Aviation Organization says it has cautioned several European countries against refusing to supply Iranian passenger planes with fuel.

The ICAO said on Friday that it has raised the issue with authorities in Britain, Denmark, Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands.

ICAO has also underscored that it will not remain silent on issues that undermine the safety of the aviation industry.

This came after Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization complained to the international body about the fuel sanctions by some European states against Iranian airlines.

On June 9, the UN Security Council imposed a US-engineered sanctions resolution against Iran’s financial and military sectors over Western allegations that Tehran is pursuing a military nuclear program — claims strongly refuted by Tehran.

Following the UN sanctions, the United States took unilateral measures against Iran and persuaded the European Union to follow suit, seeking to prevent Tehran’s access to refined oil products and to penalize foreign companies that help the country’s energy sector.

There were reports that Britain and Germany refused to provide fuel for Iranian passenger planes following unilateral US sanctions.

In August, President of Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization Reza Nakhjavani acknowledged that problems had arisen with regards to obtaining airplane fuel in European airports, but assured that the company nevertheless continued its flights over Europe by supplying fuel from other sources.

Nakhjavani filed a complaint with ICAO in late November, arguing that sanctions imposed on Iranian flights by the European allies of the US were not proportionate with the UN sanctions on the Islamic Republic.