US House moves to ban sale of aircraft to Iran

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON

The House of Representatives moved Thursday to bar the sale of commercial aircraft to Iran.

The Republican-controlled chamber voted 234-174 to prohibit the deals that could provide American aerospace giant Boeing billions of dollars in sales. France's Airbus was also awarded licenses to deliver planes to Tehran under an Obama administration order in September.

The U.S. agreed to allow Iran to purchase commercial passenger aircraft to update its aging passenger fleet under the internationally brokered Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

The sales were a prominent demand from Tehran to complete the accord and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani told Iranians shortly after it was inked, "From today, we will have safe planes".

The proposed multibillion dollar deal between Boeing and Tehran would allow Iran Air to buy 80 passenger jets as well as receive the company’s help in leasing 29 new Boeing 737s.

Airbus separately wants to sell 118 aircraft to Tehran, which has said it wants to buy up to 500 aircraft during the next decade in the wake of the nuclear accord.

The House legislation, however, would prohibit the Treasury Department from issuing the necessary licenses for banks to finalize the deals. And it would nix authorities that were previously issued to facilitate the sales.

It will now head to the Senate where its passage would send it to President Barack Obama who is almost certain to issue a veto, effectively killing it.

Congress could override the move, but doing so would require a two-thirds majority in both chambers, and so far the House vote has fallen far short of the required 287 votes.

Legislative maneuvering could change that tally, but that would be a major undertaking for an outgoing Congress.

Critics have said the sales threaten a boost in support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, citing Iran’s alleged air lifts to support him.

Republican lawmaker Peter Roskam, a leading opponent of the Iran deal, lauded the House's move.

"Happy to see the House take a principled stand as #Iran continues to use commercial aircraft to support Assad and its other terror proxies," he wrote on Twitter.