Deputy Minister of Roads: Sale of Aircraft to Iran is Off the Table with US Exit from JCPOA

The Deputy Minister of Roads and Urban Development of the Islamic Republic of Iran stated that if the United States exits the JCPOA, the delivery of Boeing and Airbus aircraft to Iran will be canceled. Asghar Fakhrieh Kashan said in an interview with ILNA news agency on Wednesday, January 17, that Iran is waiting to see whether the US will exit or remain in the JCPOA, and after that, it will decide on the advance payments for its orders to Airbus. John Lee, the sales director of Airbus, had mentioned on January 15 to Reuters that the delivery of custom aircraft to Iran might be delayed. The Airbus sales director cited delays in Iran's advance payments to the company as the reason for the delay in order deliveries. Now, the Deputy Minister of Roads and Urban Development of Iran has made the execution of contracts with Airbus contingent on the validity of the permits issued (by the US), stating: "Given Mr. Trump's positions regarding exiting the JCPOA, we must ensure that these permits remain valid. Currently, these permits are valid, but we must be sure that they will remain valid in a few months regardless of any US decision." Mr. Fakhrieh Kashan, in statements differing from his previous comments, said: "If there is no JCPOA, then this matter (aircraft sales) is also off the table." Previously, this official from the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development had stated that in the event of the US exiting the JCPOA, the permits for aircraft sales to Iran would not be retroactive. Due to the presence of American parts in Airbus, the company needs a Treasury Department license to sell its aircraft. The US Treasury Department has issued licenses for the sale of dozens of Airbus and Boeing aircraft to Iran after the JCPOA. Donald Trump announced on January 12 that he would sign the suspension of sanctions against Iran for the last time and expressed readiness to cooperate in drafting a bipartisan resolution, outlining four components for Congress's approval in this regard: "Immediate inspections of all facilities requested by international inspectors in Iran; ensuring that Iran does not approach nuclear weapons; making Iran's restrictions in the nuclear agreement permanent; and finally, that Tehran's ballistic missile program and nuclear weapons are inseparable." Iranian officials have repeatedly stated that they are not willing to renegotiate or change the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, JCPOA.