Boeing: If Our Agreement with Iran is Blocked, Other Competitors Must Also Be Stopped

The head of Boeing has stated that if the agreement with Iran is blocked, all other American companies that provide services and technology to competitors of this aircraft manufacturer should also be stopped. Ray Conner, Boeing's CEO, said on July 10, prior to the Farnborough International Airshow near London, that any attempt to block the Boeing-Tehran agreement should not unfairly harm this company in relation to other competitors. The U.S. House of Representatives, which is majority Republican, last Thursday approved two new amendments aimed at preventing the sale of Boeing passenger aircraft to Iran. These amendments were added to the financial services budget bill. According to one of these amendments, the Office of Foreign Assets Control will not be allowed to issue the necessary license for the sale of aircraft to Iran. Based on another amendment, loans from American financial institutions for purchasing aircraft, with the possibility of converting their capabilities to military capabilities, will be prohibited. Mr. Conner stated, 'If we are not allowed to move forward, then no other American company should be allowed either. That means no American company that provides products to other companies.' The Boeing CEO said that the approved amendments are a matter for Congress and the U.S. government, and the company will act according to the government's wishes. Reuters previously reported that any company with more than 10% of its products, contents, or technology being American is legally required to obtain a license from Washington. Thus, legal barriers mean blocking all modern aircraft manufacturing companies from selling aircraft to Iran. Previously, the head of Iran's Civil Aviation Organization announced that 'initial agreements with Boeing' had been documented, but added that both Boeing and Airbus are currently 'waiting for the U.S. Treasury Department's license.' On Friday, July 9, the spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry reacted to the U.S. House of Representatives' resolution, stating that the U.S. government is obliged to remove the obstacles to implementing the nuclear agreement (JCPOA). Barack Obama, the former U.S. President, had previously warned that any plan that undermines the nuclear agreement between Iran and the six world powers would be vetoed. Iran faced extensive nuclear sanctions that were lifted with the start of the JCPOA. However, the United States continues to impose other sanctions against Iran related to allegations of human rights violations, state-sponsored terrorism, or ballistic missile development. The sanctions have worn out Iran's air fleet. Some of the aircraft in this fleet have been out of production for years. According to statistics, only in the first weeks of spring, nearly 2.5 million citizens used domestic flights.