Ahead of this Thursday’s one-year anniversary of the Iran nuclear deal, which ended global sanctions, the Republican-led House last week approved measures aimed at blocking USA companies from selling commercial passenger aircraft to Tehran.
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However, elements in the US Congress have had their concerns about the possibility of Iran using civilian aircraft for military purposes among them Congressman Peter Roskam (R-Illinois) who co-authored two of the amendments to the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act passed last week.
At the same time, if it passed the bill is nearly certain to produce more angry condemnations from the EU. “If we’re not allowed to go forward, then sure as heck no other USA company should be allowed to go forward either”.
The bill could also block Airbus’ $27 billion deal to sell 118 planes to Iran Air. “That would mean any other US supplier to any other manufacturer”.
Not only Boeing’s sales deal will be blocked but even European maker Airbus will also face the music as parts of its planes include American make which subsequently require a US OFAC license too.
Head of Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization (CAO) Ali Abedzadeh said in June that Tehran and USA aerospace giant Boeing have reached a deal for the purchase of 100 aircraft in a bid to upgrade the country’s aging fleet. The promise of renewed airlines in the Islamic Republic has been used as a significant incentive to enticing Iran to abide by the terms of the nuclear deal, which went into effect in January.
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Iran has a fleet of 250 aircraft, of which 90 are grounded due to the economy or missing parts, Managing Director of Iran Air Farhad Parvaresh said recently.
