Iran's Minister of Roads and Urban Development Ali Nikzad has condemned the International Air Transport Association (IATA) for imposing ‘political’ sanctions on Iran's national airline, IranAir, Press TV reported, citing IRIB.

“IATA’s sanctions on Iran's National Airline have been imposed under the pressure of political powers, and are unacceptable,” Nikzad said during a meeting with Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-HABITAT) Joan Clos in Tehran.

”Iran does not know the reasons behind IATA’s sanctions against its aviation industry, because airlines across the world work to transport passengers and have nothing to do with religion, race and color,” he added.

The Iranian minister emphasized that sanctions have been imposed on IranAir “despite the fact that Iran is a member of the international trade group of airlines and pays membership fees to the body.”