Trump may stop Boeing and Airbus jetliner sales to Iran: report

The Trump administration is weighing a strategy that could stop Boeing and Airbus from selling hundreds of passenger planes to Iranian airlines.

The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that while options have not yet been presented to President Trump, they are expected to include prohibiting the sales, imposing restrictions that could stop any aircraft deliveries or slowing down the approval process.

Boeing and Airbus have agreed to sell nearly 300 planes to Iranian airlines. Those sales were allowed under the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, pending approval from the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control.

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The nuclear deal bars Iran from developing nuclear weapons in exchange for sanctions relief.

Trump disavowed the nuclear deal in October, though he did not withdraw from the agreement. He must decide by mid-January whether to extend sanctions relief for Iran. He is expected to once again say that Tehran is not complying with the deal.

Boeing and General Electric are two major U.S. companies to pursue business opportunities with Iran. Airbus, which is headquartered in France, could also be impacted by a potential ban on the sales.

The administration is concerned that the airplanes could be used by Iran to send weapons and military personnel to Syria, according to the Journal. In a statement to the newspaper, a White House spokesman said that the administration would not grant licenses for the sales unless Iran can offer assurances that the aircraft would be used only for commercial aviation.

“The administration’s position is clear: We will not issue export licenses unless we are convinced the aircraft will be used exclusively for commercial passenger aviation,” the spokesman said.