DALLAS — France, Germany, and the UK have jointly announced their intention to cancel bilateral air service agreements with Iran and pursue sanctions against the airline Iran Air (IR).
The announcement comes as the European nations condemn Iran for transferring ballistic missiles to Russia and warned of serious consequences.
Earlier today, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed that Russia had received these missiles from Iran and might use them in its war against Ukraine within weeks.
In a joint statement, the European nations called this move an escalation, emphasizing that it directly threatens European security. They urged Iran to stop supporting Russia’s war efforts and to halt further missile development and transfers.
During a visit to Britain, Blinken mentioned that the U.S. would impose additional sanctions, including targeting IR. Britain also announced sanctions aimed at Russian cargo ships, which have been involved in transporting military supplies from Iran to Russia.
The new sanctions further target individuals and organizations involved in facilitating Iran’s military support to Russia, specifically focusing on ballistic missile and drone supply chains, according to Reuters.
British Foreign Minister David Lammy highlighted that any missile transfer by Iran would provoke a significant international response, reiterating the collective commitment of these countries to holding Iran and Russia accountable for actions undermining global security.
According to Cirium Diio, IR has 92 scheduled flight to the aforementioned European countries this month, which equal to 20,863 seats or 52,481,230 ASMs.
