Former Italian FM slams gov’t for permitting Iran Air flights to land

Says that instead of keeping contagion from Iran and China away, Italian authorities authorize Iran Air flights from Tehran to stop over in our airports.

By BENJAMIN WEINTHAL
A cleric man wears a protective mask amid concerns over the coronavirus (COVID-19) spread, at Najaf airport in the holy city of Najaf upon his arrival from Iran (photo credit: REUTERS/ALAA AL-MARJANI)
A cleric man wears a protective mask amid concerns over the coronavirus (COVID-19) spread, at Najaf airport in the holy city of Najaf upon his arrival from Iran
(photo credit: REUTERS/ALAA AL-MARJANI)
BERLIN – Former Italian foreign minister Giulio Terzi on Monday criticized his country’s authorities for allowing Iran Air flights to land in Italy.
“Instead of keeping away from an increasing risk of contagion from Iran, as well as from China, the Italian authorities authorize the stopover of flights of Iran Air from Tehran in our airports,” he wrote in an opinion article titled: “A Message to the Italian authorities: Is it fine to allow Iran Air flights?”
The translated article was posted on the Global Committee for the Rule of Law website. Terzi tweeted it on Monday.
“In addition, Iran Air, under Executive Order 13599, is subject to sanctions from the US Treasury Department because of its involvement in financial and logistical activities supporting international terrorism,” he wrote. “Several proxies of the Iranian regime in the Middle East and Latin America use this air company as a regular carrier for their militias, armaments and illicit trades.”
“The application of US sanctions on Iran Air should actually worry companies and executives who provide services at airports, because the legislation in question also relates to them,” Terzi wrote. “Substantially, this case is identical to that of another Iranian company, namely Mahan Air, which was suspended by the Italian Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC) last October.”
The US State Department said on Monday: “Instead of taking appropriate precautions against the spread of COVID-19, Iran’s terrorist airline, Mahan Air, operated at least 55 flights between Tehran and China in February, according to public reports.”
German airports and authorities defied an announcement from Transportation Minister Andreas Scheuer to bar flights from the coronavirus-infected hotspots of Iran and China, The Jerusalem Post reported last week. Germany and Italy are two of Iran’s most important European trade partners.