Three U.S. Congress Members Urge Boeing: Do Not Sell Aircraft to Iran

Three U.S. Congress members have urged Boeing not to sell aircraft to Iran. The representatives argue that if this deal goes through, Iran, labeled as a 'major state sponsor of terrorism,' would use these passenger planes to achieve its objectives. Portions of this letter were published by Fox News, which is affiliated with the right-wing in the U.S. 'Peter Roskam' from Illinois, 'Bob Dold,' and 'Randy Hultgren,' Republican lawmakers, have requested in their letter to 'Dennis Muilenburg,' the CEO of Boeing, to prevent any potential transactions with the Islamic Republic. These three Republican representatives stated to the Boeing CEO: 'We ask you not to participate in the potential repurposing of Boeing aircraft into warplanes for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.' The U.S. government has repeatedly emphasized that under the framework of the JCPOA, Iran is entitled to benefit from the privileges it has gained from the lifting of sanctions. Among others, John Kerry, the U.S. Secretary of State, recently stated: 'Iran deserves to benefit from the advantages of the agreement it has made.' Mr. Kerry added: 'The President, himself, and the U.S. Treasury Secretary have also emphasized this point, and it is fair that Iran benefits from the profits of the agreement since it has adhered to its commitments.' However, a significant majority of Congress members remain skeptical of the intentions of the Islamic Republic's leaders and oppose any assistance in alleviating Iran's economic difficulties. Peter Roskam tweeted: 'I have no doubt about the legality of this deal, but just because this action is legal does not mean we should support Iran's terrorism, as it is not the right thing to do.' Last Friday, this conservative House representative added an amendment to the 'National Defense Authorization Act,' imposing a new prohibition for the U.S. Department of Defense regarding transactions with Iran, banning the department from issuing any licenses or contracts with Iran. Peter Roskam also wrote in an op-ed published in the Wall Street Journal on March 31 (about a month ago): 'We should not be deceived by transactions with Iran, which is our dangerous geopolitical enemy.' The opposition is not limited to lawmakers in Congress. The privileges of the JCPOA and efforts to improve relations with Tehran have also been hot topics among candidates, especially in the Republican camp, during the U.S. presidential primary elections; among them, Donald Trump, the leading Republican candidate, has described the nuclear deal with Iran as the worst agreement. Mr. Trump recently claimed in one of his campaign speeches that Iran has violated the terms of the agreement from day one. He also labeled the leaders of the Islamic Republic as malicious and dangerous people. Donald Trump further claimed that in exchange for the numerous concessions granted to the Iranian government, the U.S. has gained nothing. Peter Roskam wrote in his letter to Boeing's CEO: 'The greatest benefit from any potential sale of aircraft to Iran would go to the autocratic leaders of the Islamic Republic.' The Boeing board is scheduled to meet with 'Dennis Muilenburg,' the CEO of the company, this week in Chicago.