US Congress Renews Push to Sabotage Iran’s Jet Deals: Report
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A bill has been introduced in the US Congress that could scuttle the aircraft deals between Airbus and Boeing and Iran, a report said.
Peter Roskam, a Republican member of the House, introduced a bill on Friday to initiate an investigation by the incoming Trump administration's Director of National Intelligence into Iran’s airliners, including Iran Air, according to CNN.
If Iran Air or any other airline were to be found to support the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the airline would be added to the US sanctions list and be prevented from receiving new aircraft or US-made parts.
That would effectively freeze the sale of jets from Boeing to Iran, the report added.
During a January 2016 visit to Paris by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Tehran signed a major contract with Airbus worth about $27 billion to buy 118 planes.
Iran Air took delivery last week of the first of the jets it has ordered from Airbus.
Iran sealed another deal in June worth around $25 billion with the US aerospace heavyweight, Boeing, for the purchase of 100 passenger planes. In December, the deal with Boeing was finalized, allowing Iran to buy 80 planes within 10 years. The first deliveries are expected in 2018.
While Western plane makers are very keen on trade with Iran, Washington 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.
