Iran Says Reports Planes Denied Refueling 'False'

Iran has denied reports that some countries are refusing refueling to Iranian passenger planes due to sanctions over Iran's nuclear program.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said today that Iranian planes are getting fuel at airports around the world, and that reports that fuel supplies had been blocked in three countries were part of a propaganda war against the Islamic republic.

On July 5, Iran's ISNA news agency quoted the secretary of the Iranian Airlines Union, Mehdi Aliyari, as saying airports in Britain, Germany, and the United Arab Emirates had denied refueling to Iranian planes as part of unilateral U.S. sanctions against Iran.

Officials in all three countries have denied the claims.

The "Financial Times Deutschland" newspaper reported today that oil giant BP had not renewed a contract to supply Iranian airlines with fuel after it had expired at the end of June.

The report said an Iran Air plane had to land in Vienna because it had been refused refueling at Hamburg airport in northern Germany.

Mehmanparast did not comment on that incident.

compiled from agency reports