A top Trump ambassador is winning kudos for his part in convincing Germany to ban Iranian airline Mahan Air amid allegations it ran weapons to Syria.

Officials said that Richard Grenell, U.S. ambassador to Germany, played a key role and scored his latest victory since landing last May when he warned, “German companies doing business in Iran should wind down operations immediately.”



Iran’s Mahan Air is shut down in Germany, immediately. Thank you to the German government for their leadership. https://t.co/kPrqua3lbG — Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) January 21, 2019



“Since arriving in Berlin, Ambassador Grenell has literally hit the ground running delivering on the president’s priorities,” said a key ally and senior Senate Republican aide.

“At the top of that list has been to ensure Europe doesn’t circumvent President Trump on Iran,” said the aide, adding, “Today is a massive win for President Trump. Because of Ambassador Grenell’s perseverance, this Iranian airline will no longer be able to fly to the largest economy in Europe. Make no mistake, Ric Grenell has become President Trump’s go-to diplomat in Europe. He delivers.”



These things only happen when the USA has great Ambassadors in these countries. Thank you Ambassador @RichardGrenell and your team. https://t.co/6tZCR9gFi4 — Col. Rob Maness ret. (@RobManess) January 21, 2019



The ban is a huge win for the administration and lays down another marker in its effort to tighten the sanctions noose around Tehran.



The U.S. welcomes #Germany’s decision to deny landing rights to #Iran’s Mahan Air. The airline transports weapons and fighters across the Middle East, supporting the Iranian regime’s destructive ambitions around the region. We encourage all our allies to follow suit. — Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) January 21, 2019



Grenell said on Twitter, “Iran’s Mahan Air is shut down in Germany, immediately. Thank you to the German government for their leadership.”

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo added on Twitter, “The U.S. welcomes #Germany’s decision to deny landing rights to #Iran’s Mahan Air. The airline transports weapons and fighters across the Middle East, supporting the Iranian regime’s destructive ambitions around the region. We encourage all our allies to follow suit.”