Netanyahu Welcomes Exit of Three Airlines from Iranian Market

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel who is visiting Lithuania, welcomed the exit of three European airlines from the Iranian market on Thursday, September 1, and stated that other companies should do the same. In a press conference, Netanyahu said: "Today we learned that three companies, British Airways, KLM, and Air France, have ended their operations in Iran. This is good news; others should do the same, and they will, because Iran should not be rewarded for its aggression in the region and its efforts to expand terrorism." Just hours before Netanyahu's remarks, British Airways and Air France announced the suspension of their flights to Iran in the coming weeks, citing the lack of economic profitability of these flights; the Dutch company KLM, which is part of the Air France group, had previously announced a similar suspension of flights in the near future. Netanyahu stated that his four-day visit to the Baltic Sea region was planned to "create balance in Israel's relations with the northeastern European governments compared to his government's relations with Western European countries." According to Israeli media, Netanyahu also mentioned before leaving Tel Aviv that he would discuss the "necessity of coordination with U.S. sanctions against Iran" with the leaders of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. Earlier this week, Netanyahu also discussed coordination between Israel and the U.S. regarding Iran during meetings with U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton, who visited Israel. Bolton also stated at a press conference in Jerusalem at the end of his visit that the effects of sanctions against Iran exceed U.S. assessments. Last week, the U.S. formed a special Iran action group within its State Department; prior to that, Israeli media reported the establishment of cooperation and coordination committees between key Israeli institutions and the U.S. to monitor the precise implementation of sanctions against Iran. The suspension of passenger flights is part of the punitive measures taken by the U.S. regarding Iran, which is not considered part of the first round of sanctions imposed on Iran starting from August 6, nor the second round of sanctions that will be implemented from November 4. However, the significant depreciation of the Iranian currency against foreign currencies, which has intensified in recent weeks and may be considered a secondary effect of sanctions, has raised concerns about the lack of profitability of both international and domestic flights in Iran, as many middle-class Iranians can no longer afford airline tickets. The decision by three major European airlines to stop flights to Iran comes at a time when the three European countries involved in the JCPOA have been trying to assure that if Iran remains committed to the agreement, it will still benefit from its advantages since the U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear deal on May 8. Despite the political will of the three European powers, not only have dozens of companies from this continent ceased cooperation with Iran, but the three European countries have also been unable to provide a real practical solution to ensure the continued implementation of the JCPOA, which Iran has repeatedly complained about recently. Despite the suspension of flights by these three airlines, AFP reports that German company Lufthansa and Italian company Alitalia continue their flights to Iran.