Airbus Taking Advantage of ‘Limited Time’ after US JCPOA Pullout: Iranian Official
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran's Deputy Transport Minister Asghar Fakhrieh Kashan said the country is in talks with Airbus and that the European aviation giant is taking advantage of the limited time for selling aircraft to Iran following US President Donald Trump’s decision to pull out of the JCPOA.
“We are in contact with Airbus and they are exploring all possibilities that might exist to take advantage of the limited time in front of us,” Asghar Fakhrieh Kashan told Reuters on Friday.
“It all depends on European government support and policies,” he added.
Iran also hopes to import more Franco-Italian ATR turboprops but there are some “technical issues”, he added.
ATR is a joint venture between Airbus and Italian group Leonardo.
Airbus said it had no immediate comment on the matter.
Fakhrieh Kashan was quoted earlier as saying that Airbus would announce soon whether it would sell planes to Tehran after Trump said Washington would withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
White House National Security Adviser John Bolton said earlier this week that there would be “wind-down” periods of 90 to 180 days, and perhaps other durations, for existing Iranian contracts with companies, following Trump’s refusal to remain in the agreement.
