Germany said on Monday that it had banned Iranian airline Mahan Air from its airports, in an escalation of sanctions adopted by the European Union (EU) against Tehran over attacks on opponents in the bloc. The move was necessary to protect Germany’s “foreign and security policy interests”, Foreign Ministry spokesman Christofer Burger told reporters. Mahan Air, Iran’s second-largest carrier, was blacklisted by the U.S. in 2011, as Washington said the carrier was providing support to elite unit of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards known as the Quds Force. The U.S. treasury has threatened sanctions against countries and companies offering the airline’s aircraft landing rights.
