Baku, Azerbaijan, Apr. 12
By Umid Niayesh, Dalga Khatinoglu - Trend:
The Unites States says that the American firms still can not participate in majority of commercial activities in Iran.
"Because of pre-existing, non-nuclear related sanctions, the US companies are still prohibited from participating in the majority of commercial activities with Iran," Sam Werberg, press officer for the Iranian Affairs Office at the US Department of State, told Trend Apr. 12.
"However, under the JCPOA [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, aka nuclear deal], we have committed to license certain activities involving US persons," the diplomat explained.
These, according to Werberg, include the sale of commercial passenger aircraft and related parts and services to Iran, exclusively for commercial passenger aviation end use, as well as the importation into the United States of Iranian-origin carpets and foodstuffs.
"Lastly, we have committed to license foreign entities that are owned or controlled by US persons to engage in certain activities with Iran that are consistent with the JCPOA and US law," he added.
Werberg also said that in addition there are exceptions for certain humanitarian exports of food, medicine and medical devices.
Despite the United States' non-nuclear related sanctions, Iranian officials are negotiating with the US companies, including General Electric and Boeing.
Iran Air, which is Iran's flag carrier, announced on Apr. 8 that a top-level delegation from global aviation giant Boeing will arrive in the country in the next days to discuss potential areas of cooperation with Iranian companies after the US government permitted the company to negotiate with Tehran.
Boeing's license to begin commercial discussions with Iranian airlines marked a step towards catching up with European rival Airbus, which earlier agreed to sell 118 planes to Iran.
Over the past decades and after the removal of nuclear-related sanctions on Iran, Airbus was the first airplane manufacturer to seal a major aviation deal with Iran.
The US multinational conglomerate General Electric is also looking at business opportunities in Iran, a spokesperson with the company told Trend last month.
Iranian officials have announced on various occasions that there are no limits for the US companies to invest in Iran, in particular in the oil and gas industry.