By Benoit Faucon
LONDON--Iran is asking French oil giant Total SA (TOT) to resume
refuelling its passenger aircraft and has even raised the question
with the French president, an Iranian official said recently.
The move underscores Iran's hopes that the election in May of a
new French administration could lead to a thaw between the two
countries.
Iran asked French President Francois Hollande last month to
intercede with Total over the refuelling of its aircraft. "He said
he would look into it," the Iranian official said.
Under Mr. Hollande's predecessor, Nicolas Sarkozy, France led a
European push to tighten sanctions against Iran, culminating in a
European Union embargo July 1. But the Islamic Republic hopes
France will soften its stance under Mr. Hollande, who was elected
in May.
Tehran also appealed directly to Total's Chief Executive
Christophe de Margerie for the resumption of refuelling of the
national airline planes, the person said.
A Total spokesperson confirmed the company had stopped
"deliveries of jet fuel to Iran Air in March 2011, due to the
evolution of the relationship between Iran and the international
community."
Many oil companies in Europe halted refuelling to state-owned
Iran Air after the U.S. banned the sale of fuel products to Iran.
The likes of Total--which has sizeable operations in North
America--feared they could run into trouble with Washington.
However, some jet fuel suppliers continue to supply Iran Air.
Iran Air's aircraft calling at the U.K's Heathrow airport--where
jet fuel providers stopped supplies in 2010, are refuelling in
another country on the way back from London to Tehran, according to
the Iranian airline's Website.
The French presidency referred calls from Dow Jones Newswires to
the foreign affairs ministry which didn't return a request for
comment.
Write to Benoit Faucon at benoit.faucon@dowjones.com (Geraldine
Amiel in Paris contributed to this report.)
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