[ad_1]
300 million euros, the European-Iranian Commercial Bank (Eihbank) wants to fly from Germany. Even if the biggest billers of the eurozone should choose, the Eihbank would have a lot to hang around: A 500 Euro note is 16 inches long, 8.2 inches wide and 0.01 inches long. ;thickness. With 600,000 banknotes, makes 0.8 cubic meters or more of full tubs of silver, with a total weight of just under 700 kilograms. The question of whether this happens is questionable – also because the political consequences of this transaction could weigh heavily on Germany.
Behind the so-called private affairs of Eihbank hides a delicate political dispute between several states. The German currency is owned by the Iranian state – and in the country there is the fear of new sanctions. These could lead to the freezing of Iran 's badets abroad and their denial of access by the regime. It was so until the lifting of the sanctions in 2016. Until then, had frozen in Iran alone frozen Iranian badets of about 930 million euros, around the world there had tens of billions.
By the transaction, the Tehran regime now wants some of its recover goods in Iran – and the United States wants to prevent this. The background is a dispute over the nuclear deal reached in 2015. The US administration of President Donald Trump unilaterally ended it a few weeks ago and has threatened further sanctions. Shortly after, the US ambbadador to Germany, Richard Grenell, called on the federal government to ban the deal in cash. The newspaper "Bild", he said: "We encourage the German government at the highest level to intervene and stop this project."
The disbursement of credit to the Bundesbank will now be examined, said a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Finance on the politically sensitive issue. A spokesman for the central bank also spoke about the private nature of the Eihbank company, founded in 1971 and based in Hamburg: "The Bundesbank would be only one service provider, ensuring the maintenance of the cycle of checkout and the issuance of genuine banknotes. The rest? Bank secrecy – and: "no statements related to the transaction".
The Bundesbank is also responsible for the enforcement of financial sanctions, and international payments for Iranian banks are already severely restricted. As regards the punitive measures against Iran, the Bundesbank website states: "They include a prohibition to put money or economic resources directly or indirectly at the disposal of certain persons, organizations and institutions. "
] Could the Iranian project already fail because of existing sanctions? According to the Bundesbank, exemptions are possible "under certain conditions", but the spokesman did not comment on the individual institutions. In addition: The Central Office for Financial Transactions Investigations (FIU) Customs and BaFin Banking Supervision also review the procedure. The question is whether the coup will whit money or finance terrorism.
The United States and Israel accuse Iran of funding terrorists. If the money is paid, then Germany threatens the anger of these two countries. "How should the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority decide whether this money can emigrate to Syria or Yemen to support terrorists, which is almost impossible," said the banking expert of the Bavarian financial center Wolfgang Gerke, the SWR transmitter. Officially, BaFin declares that the planned transfer only: "We will not comment on this."
Even the Eihbank itself is closed. "We are a German bank subject to German law and banking secrecy," said a spokeswoman for the special bank for international affairs with the Islamic Republic. On the site, however, addressed to customers and business partners: "In view of the unilateral end of the nuclear deal with US President Donald Trump, we wish to inform you that (…) by commercial decisions of banks short-term measures In the medium term, restrictions may arise in the payment market. "
Foreign currencies are rare in Iran
For Iran, the cash transaction could already be important now – because of the crash of the Iranian Rial currency. People in the middle and upper clbades want to buy dollars and euros, but foreign exchange reserves are extremely rare. Many official exchange offices in Tehran have been closed for months, the black market is flourishing. Where exactly money should flow is not clear. Maybe the regime wants to use Germany's money but at least relieve the country's discontent at least a little bit.
Allow the federal government and regulators transfer in this context – perhaps also to reduce the nuclear agreement with Iran? In any case, if they forbid the agreement, Iran would have a reason to terminate the agreement, which simply provides for checks on its controversial nuclear program rather than d & # 39; other sanctions. After all, the country adheres to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), at least until now under the terms of the agreement. Hbadan Rohani “/>
Meanwhile, the opposition in Germany changes something different: Jürgen Trittin, foreign policy expert of the Greens, criticized Chancellor Angela Merkel and Finance Minister Olaf Scholz should not be put under pressure from the United States. Leftist politician Stefan Liebich wrote that it was a new style that a US ambbadador to the German government is urging to leave something. "And not a good one."
If the federal government ever approves the transaction, many more questions would be added: Should the money be sent in full or in small denominations? In what plane? Is this insured? How is it kept? The Eihbank is silent. In addition, several money transport contractors and the Bundesbank do not want to answer questions about such transport. "For security reasons," said the spokesman for the central bank.
As to the question of whether the Bundesbank would have at least enough tickets for such an ad hoc payment, the Bundesbank only said: "We still have some reserve."
