Boeing to sell up to 60 planes to Iran

Boeing said it’s struck a deal to sell 30 Boeing 737 MAX planes to Iran’s Aseman Airlines. Aseman would have the option to buy 30 more planes.

Chicago-based Boeing said the deal for all 60 planes is worth $6 billion and would create 18,000 jobs. The Boeing deal got initial approval from the Obama administration after the U.S. and other western nations agreed to drop sanctions on Iran if it reduced its nuclear program. 

Now the Boeing sale needs final approval from the Trump administration. President Trump threatened to scrap the Iran sanctions agreement during the presidential campaign.

“This whole tough-on-national-security mantra that Trump has put forth is running into the complication of the importance of export markets for U.S. manufacturing,” said Richard Aboulafia, an airline analyst with the Teal Group. “The rubber is hitting the tarmac here, if you will.”

Meanwhile, Aboulafia said, Airbus, Boeing’s European rival, has already delivered its first jet to Iran.