Boeing Receives U.S. Government Approval to Explore Business with Iran

The American company Boeing has announced that it has received the green light from the U.S. government to engage in commercial activities with Iran. According to a statement released by the company on Friday, February 19, Boeing stated: "We had requested permission to assess the current needs for commercial passenger aircraft for Iranian airlines that are approved by the U.S. government, and we have received this permission." Boeing indicated that the obtained license allows the company to communicate with these airlines to "determine the actual needs of the approved Iranian airlines." Boeing's readiness to enter the Iranian passenger aircraft market comes at a time when a contract was signed between Iran and France during the recent visit of the Iranian president to France for the purchase of 118 Airbus aircraft. The United States imposed extensive sanctions against Iran, including in the area of passenger aircraft sales, following the occupation of its embassy in Tehran and the severing of relations with the Islamic Republic. The lifting of these sanctions became possible after the nuclear agreement between the Islamic Republic and global powers. However, the U.S. and the United Nations Security Council still prohibit the sale of military aircraft to Iran. Boeing had previously stated in November that predicting a precise timeline for negotiations with Iranian officials and discussing the needs of the country's aviation industry is challenging. Abbas Akhoundi, Iran's Minister of Roads, had previously stated that the Islamic Republic would also enter negotiations with Boeing to create "healthy competition" in Iran's aviation industry. This comes as the purchase of new passenger aircraft by Hassan Rouhani's government has faced criticism within Iran. For instance, Mohammad Reza Naqdi, head of the Basij Organization, described this contract as a "dagger in the body of the resistant economy." In response, President Hassan Rouhani stated: "Our people no longer deserve an outdated fleet of air, rail, and ground transportation."