Iran sends food and raw materials to Qatar to ease Gulf blocakde

Tehran sent five planes loaded with fresh food, such as vegetables and fruit. Each aircraft contained 90 tons of freight. Three ships ready to sail with 350 tons of food on board. The aid could go on "as long as it is requested". With the entry of Qatari airplanes, 17% increase in air traffic in Iran.

Tehran (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Tehran sent five planes loaded with food to Qatar. The leaders of the Islamic Republic reinforce their support for Doha, at the center of a dispute that has led to the breakdown of diplomatic relations and the closure of airspace and land border crossings with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other Arab nations .

The blockade is being justified by the Arab nations charges that Qatar funds terrorism and its failure to support the battle - sponsored by Riyadh and backed by the United States - against Iran, Riyadh’s number one enemy in the region.

Meanwhile, Kuwait, acting as a mediator in the dispute, claims that the Doha is ready to listen to its neighbors’ “concerns".

Shahrokh Noushabadi, spokesman for Iran Air, reports that "five aircraft carrying fresh food such as fruits and vegetables have been sent to Qatar, each with 90 tonnes of goods on board." In the next few days, other materials will be sent. It is unclear whether the load of food is the result of a commercial transaction between the two countries or is intended as an aid to curb the effects of the blockade imposed by Saudi Arabia. Noushabadi added that deliveries will continue "as long as required".

According to the Tasnim agency, three ships are also ready to sail to Qatar with 350 tonnes of food on board. Tehran has repeatedly called for dialogue and diplomacy to seek a solution to the Gulf crisis. Meanwhile, the Islamic Republic has opened its own airspace to Qatar's aircraft, with about one hundred daily arrivals more than the pre-blockade period imposed by Riyadh and Abu Dhabi. These new routes have increased air traffic in Iran by 17%.