Iran Live Coverage: The Isolation of the Country

0800 GMT: It was a brief but telling announcement. The Dutch airline KLM, one of the largest carriers in the world, said its flights to and from Tehran would be halted in April.

KLM tried to cushion the blow by saying the cut-off was for economic rather than political reasons and adding that it was alwaying shutting down old routes and establishing new one based on expected profits. The underlying but unadmitted story, however, is that sanctions and Iran's currency problems have badly affected financial transactions and thus the ability of foreign airlines to operate in the Islamic Republic.

Austrian Airlines also said it was halting service to Iran, leaving Germany's Lufthansa as the only European carrier still flying to Tehran.

Last autumn, a series of international airlines halted their operations, including British Airways and Malaysia's Asia Air.  Meanwhile, three of Iran's domestic carriers are under threat of suspension because of inability to pay for fuel and other costs.

Iranian State media unsurprislngly makes no reference to KLM's news. Instead, it highlights the economic development, "Iran Produces 253,300 Tons of Aluminum Ingots in Nine Months". More significantly, there is the claim that "Iran, Iraq, Syria Sign Agreement to Boost Transit Cooperation",  while an Egyptian professor is brought out to say, "There is no trouble in Egypt and Iran restoring diplomatic relations."

from EA WorldView: EA Iran

Posted via email from lissping