Iran–Serbia relations

Historians have stated that it is remotely possible that Serbs historically originated from the early Persian tribes in the Caucasus.[4] Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad acknowledged that the same theory may be a reliable explanation for the origin of Croats,[5] who have historically lived in very close proximity of Serbs.

Iran's relations with Serbia (then part of Yugoslavia) were strained during the Yugoslav Wars in which Iran supported the Bosnian Muslims against the rebel Serbs in Bosnia.

From March to June 2011, Iran Air made scheduled landings in Belgrade for fueling aircraft which had been denied kerosene in airports in the European Union.[6] After 18 June 2011, Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport revoked landing rights for Iran Air,[7] citing pressure from the United States.[8]

The Imperial State of Iran and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia were the founding members of the Non-Aligned Movement in 1961.

In September 2011, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Iran, Mohammed Akondzadeh, visited Serbia during the annual NAM council held in Belgrade that year,[9] and claimed that Iran doesn't recognize Kosovo as a sovereign nation, and that he hoped friendly relations between Serbia and Iran would progress further.[10] Less than a year later, Ivan Mrkić traveled to Tehran to represent Serbia at the 16th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement. It was reported on 31 August 2012 that Mrkić addressed the summit participants that Serbia wishes to remain engaged with NAM member states while devoting to accession to the EU.[11]

Serbia, despite having been severely sanctioned and isolated by the west for eight years during the existence of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, reportedly put sanctions on Iran as a part of EU accession procedure, according to local media in November 2012.[12] The announcement of sanctions met very harsh criticism among Serbian media and political writers and reflected a divide between the actions of the Serbian government and the opinions of Serbian citizens.[13][14] Professor Predrag Simić of the UB Faculty of Political Science said in an interview with S Media that Iran seemed to be tolerant of the Serbian government's accession into the EU, and inferred that it was possible that relations with Iran would not be as damaged as they are with other western nation's despite Serbia's sanctions.[15] In 2013, Serbia's ambassador in Tehran Aleksandar Tasić met with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad; the meeting was cited by Mohammad Reza Rahimi in a note of congratulations to Serbia's state holiday on February 15, in which it was stated that there are "no impediments" to further relations between Tehran and Belgrade.[16]

On August 23, 2017, the government of Serbia announced on its website that citizens of the Islamic Republic of Iran as well as those of India can travel to Serbia without applying to obtain visas.[17] This agreement was abolished by the Serbian government over EU pressure on 8 October 2018[18], and the abolition entered into force on 17 October 2018.[19]

Before the agreement was abolished, three Iranian airlines maintained flights between Tehran and Belgrade.[20] After the abolition, only Mahan Air maintains direct scheduled flights between Iran and Serbia.