Tehran: Paris cancels our only direct flight to Europe, a hostile act

Shafaq News/ Iranian Minister of Roads and Urban Development, Farzaneh Sadat (whose ministry also oversees civil aviation), announced that France unilaterally canceled the direct flight between Tehran and Paris that was scheduled for Friday.

This was the only direct flight between the Iranian capital and a European capital. Tehran condemned the French decision, calling it a "hostile act."

In October, in response to accusations that Iran was supplying ballistic missiles to Russia for its war in Ukraine, the European Union imposed new sanctions on Tehran. Among the measures, it blacklisted the state-owned airline "Iran Air," the only airline operating flights between Tehran and European destinations.

Iranian civil aviation announced, in mid January, the resumption of flights by the end of the month through a service between Tehran and Paris operated by the private airline "Iran Air Tour."

In an interview on the "Clubhouse" platform, the Iranian minister confirmed that the cancellation was "unrelated to coordination issues or technical problems," adding that it was a decision taken unilaterally by France. She emphasized that it was not related to the sanctions on airlines and stated that "efforts are underway to restore the flight through diplomacy."

The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs declined to comment on the matter when contacted by Agence France-Presse.

In addition to "Iran Air," European sanctions also target the Iranian airlines "Mahan Air" and "Saha Air," with international sanctions particularly impacting Iran's aviation sector. These sanctions prevent Tehran from purchasing aircraft, spare parts, or utilizing maintenance services.