Illinois lawmakers urge Boeing not to sell aircraft to Iran
Three congressmen from Boeings headquarters state say Irans despotic leaders would benefit from any deal to upgrade that nations aging aircraft fleet. Iran, May 5, 2016 Three Republican congressmen from Illinois are urging the chief executive of Chicago-based Boeing to avoid doing business with Iran and to not sell aircraft to upgrade its fleet. The lawmakers told Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg in a letter sent Monday that commercial-aviation sales to Iran would subsidize a country that continues to be a leading sponsor of terrorism. We urge Boeing in the strongest possible terms not to do business with Iran until it ends its support for terror, wrote Reps. Peter Roskam, Robert Dold and Randy Hultgren. Boeing did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the letter. The company has offered Iranian airlines three models of new aircraft to replace the countrys aging aircraft fleet, the Islamic Republics state-run news agency reported in April. Last years landmark nuclear deal between Iran, the United States and other world powers ended economic sanctions against Tehran, allowing airline manufacturers to re-enter the market. Iran Air has already signed agreements to buy 118 planes from the European consortium Airbus and 20 more from French-Italian aircraft manufacturer ATR. Boeings proposal demonstrates the aerospace giants interest in a piece of the action in post-sanctions Iran. But American firms have been more cautious than their foreign competitors as the presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has threatened to tear up the nuclear deal if elected in November. The congressmen told Muilenburg they are confident Boeings discussions with Iran comply with the law and called the company an American icon that creates thousands of jobs in Illinois. But, they wrote, this is not about doing what is legal it is about doing what is right. The lawmakers listed examples of what they called Irans pernicious behavior, including launching ballistic missiles in violation of United Nations resolutions, firing rockets near a U.S. aircraft carrier and other warships in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, and Irans brief capture of American sailors who strayed into its territorial waters. They said Irans despotic leaders would be the greatest beneficiaries of any aircraft sale because they own a majority stake in Iran Air, the countrys flag carrier. Boeing officials offered 737, 787 and 777 model aircraft, according to Irans news agency. Iranian airlines have roughly 60 Boeing airplanes in service, but most were purchased before the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Out of Irans 250 commercial planes, about 150 are flying while the rest are grounded due to lack of spare parts. After Boeing officials visited Tehran last month, a company spokesman declined to provide specifics about the negotiation but said the delegation discussed the capabilities of Boeing airplanes, along with the support the company provides. He added that the meetings were closely coordinated with the U.S. government.