Iran Asks France's Total To Resume Refuelling Passenger Planes-Source

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 [e-mail] (Geraldine Amiel in Paris contributed to this report.)

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