US House passes bill to block Iran aircraft sales
Washington : The House of Representatives has passed a measure that would block US aircraft sales to Iran, potentially undercutting a Boeing deal with Tehran worth up to $25 billion.
Two amendments approved to an appropriations bill from Representative Peter Roskam would ban sales from Boeing and from European rival Airbus, amid concerns the aircraft could be used for military purposes, the congressman said in a statement yesterday.
One amendment would prohibit the Office of Foreign Assets Control from using funds to authorize a license necessary to allow aircraft to be sold to Iran. A second would bar loans from US financial institutions to purchase militarily adaptable aircraft.
The ban would need to be approved by the Senate or any bill that reconciles differences in legislation by the two chambers.
Roskam, an Illinois Republican, said in a tweet that in the vote Thursday, “House Democrats did not mount any significant opposition and, in many cases, joined efforts to block the sale.”
The news comes weeks after Boeing and Iran Air confirmed a tentative deal for the sale of passenger planes.
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