Comments by Western countries or some members of the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany) about the sale of planes to Iran are an attempt to justify their own failure to live up to commitments and the delay of about a year in exporting the planes to Iran, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi told IRIB.
The spokesman underlined that Iran will never accept any conditions set by the sellers if they contravene Iran’s sovereignty and independence.
Iran definitely acts within the framework of its own interests and dignity in any business contract on the exchange of goods or services with foreign countries, Qassemi stressed.
Over the past three decades, Iran has faced a host of cruel sanctions and limitations, but never given in to the unjust demands of others, he stressed.
Last week, the US decided to remove a final hurdle for Western aircraft manufacturers to sell planes to Iran under contracts signed after coming into force of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a nuclear agreement between Tehran and the group of six countries.
But the US still demands that even non-American manufacturers wishing to sell to Iran obtain an export license if their products include materials made in the United States. Airbus, based in Europe, buys more than 40 percent of all its aircraft parts from the US.
In January, Iran signed a major contract with Airbus worth about $27 billion to buy 118 planes. The contract was signed during the visit to Paris by Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani.
Iran also sealed a deal in June worth around $25 billion with the US aerospace heavyweight, Boeing, for the purchase of 100 passenger planes.