The Trump Administration is evaluating whether to cancel a multi-billion dollar deal that the Boeing company had with Iran, to sell them military aircraft. Negotiated under the Obama Administration, the deal has been repeatedly denounced by Congressional republicans, who are demanding action.
As part of the disastrous Iran Deal, the Obama Administration paved the way for the Islamic Republic of Iran to acquire military aircraft from American aerospace giant, Boeing. This was after the Obama Administration found that Iran was using it’s own domestic airline, Iran Air, to ferry Iranian special forces operators to terrorist hot spots around the globe.
The Trump Administration is considering halting the processing of the Treasury Department permits that Boeing would need to deliver the military planes.
While Democratic proponents of the arms sale to Iran say that it could open up opportunities to stimulate American manufacturing jobs at Boeing plants, critics are pointing out that such a deal helps advance Iran’s goals of regional dominance and international terror.
Especially now, there is increasing concern among Trump Administration policy advisors that allowing Iran to purchase a military fleet from Boeing would boost the Islamic Republic’s presence across the middle east, in hotspots such as Syria, where the Iranian-backed militants have repeatedly attacked American coalition forces.
While a final decision has not yet been taken on whether to kill this deal or allow it, the top officials have been extremely critical of the Boeing agreement and do not view it to be in the United States’ national security interests.
“This is a careful consensus, ongoing process,” as per a source familiar with administrations deliberations on the issue. “They’re adding up everything in all the columns. They’re not just deciding ‘well it’s more important for Boeing to make money’ or ‘well it’s more important to prevent Iran from sending troops to Assad. But I wouldn’t count on the Trump to administration to easily allow any company, let alone an American company, to fuel Iran’s war machine. Their priority is the opposite.”
