Baku, Azerbaijan, April 18
By Khalid Kazimov – Trend:
Iran is hopeful to receive eight more ATR airplanes as well as three Airbus over the current year.
“According to the agreement between Iran and the Airbus, if we manage to make the down payment, the company will deliver three new planes,” IRNA news agency quoted the Iranian deputy transportation minister, Asghar Fakhrieh Kashan, as saying.
Following the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA/nuclear deal) in January 2016, Iran inked deals to acquire 100 planes from Airbus, 80 from Boeing and 20 from ATR.
The Islamic Republic has already received 11 aircraft, including three Airbus and eight ATR.
Speaking about the country’s contract with Boeing, Asghar Fakhrieh Kashan said that the deal has seen no changes but there are concerns due to the US President Donald Trump’s approach to the nuclear pact.
“Our agreement with Boeing has been subject to no changes. However, due to Trump’s unexpected decisions, we have to remain vigilant in order to rule out the possibility of facing any risks or problems regarding our payments,” he said.
Back in March, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian arrived in Tehran as part of a European drive to salvage the nuclear deal with Iran that President Donald Trump is threatening to scuttle. On May 12, Donald Trump is expected to decide whether to continue waiving sanctions under a US law.
So far, Iran has adhered to the terms of the nuclear deal, as verified by International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors in 10 reports since the pact was implemented in January 2016.
But the economic benefits Iran is receiving in return have fallen short of expectations, even after energy and financial sanctions were lifted. Major banks and companies have avoided engaging with Iran from fear of running afoul of remaining US restrictions or seeing a “snapback” of sanctions given Trump’s threats.
Trump has told the Europeans that they must agree to “fix the terrible flaws of the Iran nuclear deal” or he would re-impose the sanctions that Washington lifted as part of the pact.