Munich Airport Refuses to Refuel Zarif's Plane

On Wednesday, March 9, the German Ministry of Defense confirmed that it had to intervene after Munich Airport refused to refuel the plane of Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. According to the Associated Press, during Zarif's return from Munich, where he attended the Munich Security Conference, airport officials withheld fuel from his aircraft due to fears of violating Iran sanctions. The date of this incident is reported as February 18, according to the German Ministry of Defense. Iranian state media also reported that the German government had to use military fuel tankers to assist. The head of the Munich Security Conference stated that Zarif's presence was made possible through significant efforts and interventions by the German Ministries of Defense and Foreign Affairs. In July 2015, Iran and the 1+5 group reached an agreement in Vienna regarding the resolution of Iran's nuclear program, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Under the JCPOA, Tehran agreed to halt a significant portion of its nuclear activities in exchange for the lifting or suspension of international sanctions against Iran. However, unilateral U.S. sanctions against the Islamic Republic remain in place, creating apprehension among private companies worldwide about potential repercussions for trading with Iran in the U.S. market. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in his speech at the Munich Security Conference on February 18, displayed a piece of an Iranian drone shot down by Israel, stating, 'If necessary, Israel will act against Iran.' Zarif, speaking a few hours later at the same conference, described Netanyahu's speech as a 'cartoon circus' and added that it was 'not even worth responding to.'