Iranian Vice-Speaker Urges Germany to Reconsider Decision

Motahhari said that it was expected from Europe to implement the SPV and take practical steps in supporting European firms’ investment in Iran.

The Iranian senior lawmaker made the remarks in his Saturday meeting with Klor-Berchtold in Tehran.

The Iranian legislator further referred to the recent German government’s action in sanctioning Iran’s Mahan airline, calling on the European country to reconsider its decision.

He pointed to the potentials between the two countries and called for strengthening cultural ties beyond the political and formal relations.

For his part in the meeting, the German ambassador said that Europe is doing all it can to implement the financial channel for Iran and that good progress has been made in that regard.

He added that the final steps remain to be taken, stressing that in the coming days the payment mechanism will be finalized.

“To complete the SPV, only final steps have remained, we will see the finalization of this process in the coming days,” Klor-Berchtold reiterated.

He further described Iran as an important country in the region whose role cannot be ignored in resolving crises and problems of the region.

The diplomat further called for strengthening cultural relations between the two countries.

Germany's Foreign Ministry said on Monday that the country had revoked the license of Iran's Mahan Air claiming that it had been transporting military equipment and personnel to Syria and other countries in the Middle East.

The German ban on the airline takes immediate effect, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said, after heavy US pressure on Berlin to act.

In reaction, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi said that Germany's move a hasty and unjustifiable act, adding that the measure had likely been adopted under the pressures of those unhappy with strong Tehran-Europe relations.

He slammed Germany's "hasty and unjustifiable" move to revoke the license of Iran’s Mahan Air, saying the decision runs counter to the spirit of deep-rooted relations between the two countries.

"Undoubtedly, no logic and reason can justify such biased attitudes which are based on false and fictitious data," Qassemi said on Tuesday.

He added that the Germany's move is likely to be taken due to "induction of incorrect information by those who are not happy with ties between the two countries".

He emphasized that a review of Mahan Air's performance in Germany would show that there had been no "negative" issue in the airline's cooperation with German companies.

The Iranian spokesperson expressed hope that Germany would make some timely revision to its incorrect and inappropriate decision.

In a related front, Head of the Iranian Civil Aviation Organization (CAO) Ali Abedzadeh deplored Germany’s decision to ban Iranian airline Mahan air from its airports, describing the move as a violation of the Convention on International Civil Aviation, also known as the Chicago Convention.

"Germany's decision to sanction Mahan Air company is political and untechnical and the Islamic Republic of Iran has filed a strong protest at Berlin and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)," Abedzadeh said on Wednesday.

"This measure is a blatant violation of all international rules, including the Chicago Convention, and there is no doubt that it has been adopted under the US pressures," he added.

Europeans' honesty in dealing with Iran nuclear deal of July 14, 2015 is seriously doubted by Iranian masses and activists that are discontent with talks with European counterparts.

In contrast with what European politicians and government are stating, many experts in Iran are suspicious of Europe's genuine commitment to the letters of the nuclear agreement of July 14, 2015, and are voicing their discontent with what they describe as Europe's strategy of killing time.

Even some commentators like Seyed Mostafa Khoshchashm are calling the Iranian government to start meaningful modifications in JCPOA undertakings, and specially remove the cap on the country's enriched uranium stockpile after the US unilateral withdrawal from the agreement; a call which is gaining momentum among the Iranians.