Iran watermelons become war spoils

Iran’s watermelons are the prized choice to quench thirst around the Persian Gulf Arab states but they have become the subject of a heated hysteria this year, which many Iranians believe is political. 

Officials say the United Arab Emirates has returned six consignments so far amid rumors that Iranian watermelons had “suspicious holes”.

Local media in the country helped flag up claims that the holes had been deliberately made to inject pesticides into the watermelons.

While laboratory tests in Qatar and other Arab countries have dismissed claims of any contamination, the UAE continues to seize watermelon imports from Iran and return them.

“The uproar is most probably the result of a political game or a trade rivalry,” deputy head of Iran’s Plant Protection and Quarantine Organization Hossein Izadi Najafabadi said.

He said Iran will follow up the matter through legal channels.

Najafabadi says Iran is currently exporting watermelons to Turkey, Turkmenistan, Georgia and Germany, with no problems reported.

“This is merely a propaganda campaign by the Arab countries which we will address through legal channels,” he said.

Some officials see the rumor in line with an anti-Iran campaign which is being waged by some sections of the Arab media in the wake of Saudi invasion of Yemen.

HB/HB

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