Iran sanctions French carmakers
Peugeot, Renault and Citroen all do considerable business in Iran. The move follows new European Union sanctions against Iran in relation to the anti-government protests in the country.
Iran sanctioned French automobile manufacturers Friday.
The Iranian government said that registering new orders from Renault, Peugeot, Citroen and other French carmakers is prohibited. An Iranian official cited “unprofessional behavior of the French in the past years” as the reason, the semi-official Mehr News Agency reported.
The official added that Iran would focus on importing cars from China, Japan and other European countries, according to the outlet.
Why it matters: Iran has a history of sanctioning Western entities for political reasons, and many of these sanctions have little effect. Last year, Iran threatened to sanction US officials in relation to police treatment of Black Americans, for example.
