Airports in Britain, Germany and the United Arab Emirates have refused to refuel Iranian passenger planes since Washington imposed unilateral sanctions on Tehran last week, ISNA news agency said Monday. IRNA, the official state news agency, said in a separate report that Kuwaiti airports have also turned down fuel for Iranian passenger planes. “Since last week, after the passing of the unilateral law by America and the sanctions against Iran, airports in England, Germany, the UAE have refused to give fuel to Iranian planes,” ISNA quoted Mehdi Aliyari, secretary of Iranian Airlines Union, as saying.
The decision by the airports in these countries comes at a time when a large number of expatriate Iranians, especially those in Europe, travel to and from Iran for summer holidays. Aliyari said their refusal has so far impacted Iran Air, the national carrier, and a leading private airline, Mahan Air, as both operate several flights to Europe.
Pervez Sorouri, a lawmaker and member of Iranian parliament’s committee on foreign policy and national security, warned of a retaliatory action by Tehran, especially towards the United Arab Emirates. He said Iran was an important trade partner of the UAE which is emerging from a financial crisis and “this (UAE’s refusal) can have some reaction from Iran,” ISNA reported.
Last Thursday, US President Barack Obama signed into law the toughest ever US sanctions on Iran, which he said would strike at Tehran’s capacity to finance its nuclear programme and deepen its isolation. The measures, on top of new United Nations and European sanctions, aim to cut off Iran’s access to imports of refined petroleum products like gasoline and jet fuel, and to curb its access to the international banking system. “With these sanctions – along with others – we are striking at the heart of the Iranian government’s ability to fund and develop its nuclear programmes,” Obama said before signing the sanctions into law. “There should be no doubt: the United States and the international community are determined to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.” On June 9, the UN Security Council imposed a fourth set of sanctions against Iran, which was followed by unilateral punitive measures by the European Union and later by the United States.
Iran could lodge a complaint to the United Nations and the International Civil Aviation Organisation over the action of these airports, lawmaker Kazem Jalali was quoted as saying by the English-language Iran News.
“A special committee has been set up in the Iranian Majlis (parliament) to study the US sanctions on jet fuel,” Jalali said. “The US president has done his best to isolate the Islamic Republic of Iran but to no avail.” On Monday, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad once again dismissed the sanctions imposed on Iran, saying they have no effect whatsoever – see earlier news item on this website.
source: AFP
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who opened a new steel project in northwestern Iran today, has said that sanctions deal no blow to the country and only serve to safeguard Western powers. “The recent round of the UN Security Council sanctions will not hurt Iran. Such moves are aimed at safeguarding the West and defending the existence of Western powers,” said Ahmadinejad in the opening ceremony of the opening of a major steel project in the city of Bonab in the province of East Azarbaijan. “Bullying powers know that no room will remain for them in the world if the Iranian nation mounts its efforts. They know they cannot do a damn thing with sanctions.”
The president said that there is no need for Iran to mobilize the nation to counter sanctions. He slammed Western powers for looting world nations, saying they have become rich through plundering the resources of other countries. According to Ahmadinejad, the traces of colonialist powers can be seen in any part of the world except Iran: “At any juncture that Iranians were vigilant and united, even the most bullying powers were brought to their knees. Today, the Iranian nation is vigilant. This awareness has prompted a movement across Iran.”
Ahmadinejad went on to say that Iran is resolute to conquer the highest peaks of progress around the globe, and called on the Iranian nation to strengthen its unity to achieve this goal. “A bright and glorious future lies ahead for the Iranian nation,” he stressed.
source: Press TV
Iranian MP Mohammad Reza Khabbaz announced yesterday that the Minister of Culture confirmed that the Media Deputy of the ministry was guilty of some extreme reactions in dealing with the media, which the ministry has now corrected.
The Minister of Culture had appeared at the parliament to respond to parliamentary concerns expressed about double standard of treatment for reformist and conservative media outlets. The Media Deputy of the ministry, Mohammad Ali Ramin, has shut down over ten newspapers and publications and cancelled their publication permits while also issuing numerous warnings to various newspapers and magazines. In a television interview, he said: "Erring journalists must be denied their citizen rights." Ramin has reportedly insulted Farhikhtegan journalists in the office of the newspaper calling them "a bunch of clowns" after one of the journalists reminded him that the editor-in-chief of their newspaper, Reza Nourbakhsh, is imprisoned.
Reporters Without Borders has reported that over 100 journalists have been arrested in Iran in the past year. Iran has also shut down the Journalists Association of Iran and arrested Badrosadat Mofidi, the Secretary-General of the Association.
source: Radio Zamaneh
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