In a significant blow to Iran’s transportation sector, the state-run ILNA news agency reported on Tuesday, October 8, 2024, that the European Union has imposed new sanctions prohibiting Iranian trucks from loading 182 categories of European goods. This move comes as part of broader EU measures targeting the regime’s economy and its ability to engage in international logistics.
According to ILNA, Ali Mahmoudi Saray, Chairman of the Iranian Federation of Transport and Logistics, confirmed that this ban has been in effect for the past month. “From a month ago, the loading of 182 European goods by Iranian trucks has been prohibited,” Saray stated, highlighting the increasing challenges faced by Iranian logistics firms due to these sanctions. Additionally, Saray revealed that only Germany and Italy have continued to issue visas to Iranian truck drivers, albeit on a limited basis.
The report also addressed the growing complications surrounding the “Green Insurance” system, an international insurance mechanism essential for cross-border transit. Due to EU sanctions, Iranian trucks cannot obtain this insurance, forcing drivers to purchase it at inflated prices from intermediaries at the Bulgarian border, sometimes paying three times the normal cost.
#Germany Bans #Iran’s Mahan Air Over Security Fears
Germany’s foreign ministry announced that it revoked the license of an Iranian commercial airline on Monday because of the airline’s role in helping to transport military equipment and fighters to…https://t.co/fibdjr0XDW pic.twitter.com/HNRh5NrC7V— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) January 22, 2019
In the broader context, Iranian truck drivers and logistics companies have been facing increasing difficulties over the past few years due to the tightening of sanctions. France had already halted the issuance of “Zola” permits—essential licenses for international road transport—for Iranian drivers at the start of 2023, with similar actions reported from other European nations like Germany and Italy.
These new sanctions and restrictions are yet another example of how the Iranian regime’s reckless policies continue to isolate the country economically and diplomatically. By prioritizing the funding of terrorist groups and extremist militias in the Middle East and beyond, the regime has pushed European nations to sever critical economic ties, including those affecting the transportation and logistics sector. As the regime persists in these destructive behaviors, the Iranian people bear the brunt of the economic fallout, with industries like transport struggling under the weight of sanctions and international isolation.
