Iran’s Zarif forced to seek German military help to refuel his official jet
Iran’s Foreign Minister sought help from the German military to refuel his official jet after private companies operating at Munich airport refused to deal with Tehran because of US sanctions.
German media reports said the aircraft carrying Mohammad Javad Zarif to the German city for a security conference needed special handling so the foreign minister could leave after his visit.
The incident took place while H R McMaster, the US National Security Adviser, used his own visit to Munich to warn against an Iranian airline implicated in supplying arms to the Syrian regime from Iran.
Munich airport authorities
told Mr Zarif’s department that he could fly in with a sufficient reserve of fuel for his trip to Munich, in the southern state of Bavaria, or fly to the nearby Austrian capital of Vienna, where the suppliers did not have the same precautionary view.
Suddeutsche Zeitung said Mr Zarif had planned to travel to Moscow after leaving the security conference.
Iranian officials rejected the choices and instead asked the conference organiser, Wolfgang Ischinger, who was previously Germany’s ambassador to the US, to lobby the German government for help.
A day before Mr Zarif’s arrival, the Defence Ministry agreed to take over the refuelling.
In a robust address to the conference, Mr McMaster decried the European rush to invest in Iran after the 2015 accord that eased sanctions in place over its nuclear programme.
“Now is also the time to address serious flaws in the Iran deal and counter Iran’s destabilising activities, including its development and proliferation of missiles – and its support for terrorist proxies and militias that fuel destructive conflicts across the greater Middle East,” he said.
“The Iranian regime foments this violence with support from commercial entities affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including Mahan Air, which lands right here in Munich airport.”
Mahan Air is a subsidiary of the state airline, Lufthansa. Mr McMaster said corporations dealing with Iran “might as well cut the IRGC a cheque” to fund its killing activities in the Middle East.
US President Donald Trump has called the 2015 accord with Tehran the “worst deal ever” and has said Washington will walk away from its terms in the next few months.
European diplomats are reported to be working on an “add-on” proposal that would put new curbs on Iran ahead of a summit of State Department officials and their counterparts in Berlin next month.
The New York Times reported that the agreement would place new limits on Iranian missile testing, strengthen inspections at Iranian military bases and roll forward sunset clauses in the pact.
Mr Zarif is not the only Iranian official embarrassed on a trip to Europe. Leaders including Swedish Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom walked out when Alireza Avaei, Iran’s Justice Minister, addressed the UN Human Rights Council on Tuesday.
Mr Avaei has been subject to an European travel ban and other sanctions since 2011. His presence at the annual meeting provoked outrage.