Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb.15
By Fatih Karimov - Trend: Sanctions against Iran's shipping lines may be lifted, the Mehr News Agency quoted the Managing Director of Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) Mohammad Hossein Dajmar as saying on February 15.
Iran may negotiate with the P5+1 group for lifting the sanctions, he said, adding that the IRISL is currently providing an estimation of its losses as a result of the sanctions to be sued in international courts.
On Nov. 29, 2013, Dajmar said the IRISL will sue the European Union due to re-imposing the sanctions against the company.
Europe's court struck down EU sanctions against IRISL, he said, adding that unfortunately the European Union has reissued sanctions on the company.
Dajmar said that the company may fill a new complaint against the EU after consultations with its legal advisors.
On Nov. 29, 2013, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister and top nuclear negotiator Abbas Araqchi criticized EU for re-imposing sanctions against Iranian companies.
However he underlined that implementation of earlier imposed sanctions is not against a new nuclear deal among Iran and the P5+1 countries.
"But it is contrary to the spirit of cooperation and goodwill," he added, underlining that the new deal does not include softening of some main sanctions imposed on Iran previously.
Iran and six world powers reached a breakthrough deal early on Nov. 24 on Tehran's nuclear program. The two sides have signed a joint "plan of action".
On Nov. 26, 2013, the EU re-imposed sanctions on a number of Iranian shipping companies including IRISL and one company involved in the development of nuclear reactors.
The governments in Europe and the United States targeted hundreds of Iranian companies such as IRISL, accusing them of aiding Tehran's nuclear program which they suspect has covert military aims and which they want to be curbed, Reuters reported.
But Europe's second highest General Court argued in some cases, including the one related to IRISL, that the EU failed to provide sufficient evidence linking the companies to Iran's nuclear work to justify sanctions and ordered to lift them.