Iran criticized US for blocking sale of Boeing to Tehran
Iran criticized measures approved by the US House of Representatives to block the sale of Boeing aircraft to Tehran, saying Washington is duty-bound to put right all measures that are inconsistent with last year’s nuclear agreement bet.
“What is important to the Islamic Republic of Iran is the opposite side’s commitment to its obligations [under the nuclear agreement], and we have nothing to do with the US domestic issues,” Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qasemi said on Friday.
He went on to say that the Islamic Republic “regards the US government responsible for Washington's fulfillment of its commitments.”
“Sensitivities and inter-party blackmailing in the US on the verge of the country's presidential election are understandable,” he added.
The Iranian spokesperson emphasized that the irreversible outcomes of such differences among US parties and the lack of commitment to JCPOA obligations would backfire on themselves.
The Republican-weighted US House of Representatives on Thursday voted by voice to pass two amendments to a financial services spending bill aimed at barring Chicago-based Boeing from selling commercial passenger aircraft to Tehran.
The move came just a month after Boeing and Iran’s national airline Iran Air reached a $25 billion agreement. According to the deal, a total of 80 aircraft will be sold and a further 29 will be leased with Boeing's support.
The amendments were approved just a week before the first anniversary of the landmark nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council – the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China – plus Germany on July 14, 2015.
After the two sides started implementing the JCPOA on January 16, all nuclear-related sanctions imposed on Iran by the European Union, the UN Security Council and the US were lifted. Iran, in return, has put some limitations on its nuclear activities.
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