TEHRAN, Jan. 21 (MNA) – The German government has withdrawn permission for the Iranian airline Mahan Air to operate in Germany, a government source told Reuters on Monday. In the wake of the recent claims over Iran’s spying on Germany, Berlin has revoked the Iranian airline’s right to operate in the European country. The decision was reportedly made after intensive discussions and followed US intelligence services' claims that German cooperation with Mahan Air would threaten the security of US citizens in German airports. The airline conducts six flights between Tehran and Germany per week: four flights from Düsseldorf and two more from Munich.
German media reported on Tuesday that a 50-year-old German-Afghan dual national who worked for the German military had been arrested on suspicion of transferring sensitive military data to Tehran. However, Iran has strongly rejected the "unfounded claim", saying it is part of the efforts to mar EU-Iran relations.