Some of the G7 countries - Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom - are contemplating new sanctions on IranAir (IR, Tehran Mehrabad) in response to Iran's recent retaliatory drone attack against Israel, Bloomberg has reported.
The agency's sources did not elaborate on the potential scope of the sanctions as private discussions continue. The move could further limit the carrier's access to European markets.
The ch-aviation schedules module shows that Iran's European network, excluding Türkiye and Azerbaijan, comprises flights to Frankfurt International, Cologne/Bonn, Hamburg Helmut Schmidt, Rome Fiumicino, Milan Malpensa, London Heathrow, Paris CDG, and Vienna. The carrier is not subject to any specific sanctions in the European Union. However, given that IranAir is designated by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), any transactions involving US-origin goods or services can result in secondary sanctions. Washington warned European companies in the past to stop dealing with Iranian airlines on pain of an embargo. The US has also put pressure on airports and ground handling companies to refuse services, including refuelling, to Iranian airlines.
Currently, the EU does not ban any Iranian carriers but prohibits Iranian cargo flights to its member countries.
On April 17 and 18, the United States and the European Union both ramped up their respective sanctions against Iran, targeting mostly its uncrewed aerial vehicle and missile sectors.
