US Lawmakers Oppose Boeing Iran Sale

Selling aircraft and parts to Iran could “threaten” US national security, Representatives Jeb Hensarling and Peter Roskam claimed in a letter to Boeing released on Friday, Reuters reported.

In their letter to Boeing Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg, the lawmakers asked for "clarification" of the current state of negotiations.

The letter came after Iran’s Minister of Roads and Urban Development Abbas Akhoundi said earlier that the deal with Boeing had been finalized, adding that its details will be announced shortly.

This is while US State Department Spokesman John Kirby said earlier the nuclear deal, also known as JCPOA, allows Western aviation companies to sell “aircraft and associated parts and services” to Iran.

“…I would remind you that under the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action - a lasting nuclear deal between Iran and world powers) we issued a statement of licensing policy that allowed for case-by-case licensing of individuals and entities seeking to export, re-export, sell, lease, or transfer to Iran commercial passenger aircraft and associated parts and services exclusively for commercial passenger aviation,” Kirby said at a press briefing on Tuesday.

Back in January, Iran signed a major deal worth $27 billion with aviation giant Airbus to purchase 118 planes from the company. The deal with Airbus was sealed during a state visit to Paris by Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani.

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 earlier.

Of that total, 80 percent will need to be renewed in the next decade, he said, adding that growth could add even more jets to Iran’s shopping list.

Tehran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany) on July 14, 2015 finalized the nuclear deal and started implementing it on January 16.

The agreement terminated all nuclear-related sanctions imposed on Iran.