February 15, 2019
Back in December, a German newspaper said Germany would be banning flights by Iran’s Mahan Air, which is under US sanctions, over allegations it ferries troops and supplies into Syria. The Iranian Foreign Ministry quickly said that story was not true.
On January 21, the German government announced that it had banned all Mahan Air flights from German airspace effective as of that day, citing the airline’s involvement in Syria. Iran’s Foreign Ministry said that was a “hasty and unjustifiable” action.
On December 21, the daily Bild had said the German government was taking the decision to ban Mahan Air after mulling US requests that it do so.
The US embassy in Berlin has long criticized Germany for allowing the airline to fly to Germany.
Mahan Air, Iran’s second largest airline, says on its website that it operates European flights to Dusseldorf and Munich in Germany plus Paris, Barcelona, Milan and Athens.
