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| Delays Threaten to Unravel Iranian Plans to Buy 200 Jetliners | Delays Threaten to Unravel Iranian Plans to Buy 200 Jetliners |
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| Agreements for Iran to buy more than 200 jetliners from Boeing and Airbus, the most prominent commercial outcomes of the nuclear accord reached a year ago, face delays that could reduce or even unravel them, aviation lawyers and analysts said. | Agreements for Iran to buy more than 200 jetliners from Boeing and Airbus, the most prominent commercial outcomes of the nuclear accord reached a year ago, face delays that could reduce or even unravel them, aviation lawyers and analysts said. |
| Legislation passed by the House of Representatives on July 7 would essentially block the multibillion-dollar agreements with Boeing and Airbus, despite provisions in the nuclear accord that allowed for such deals. While President Obama is expected to veto that legislation, it has pushed back the clock for the airplane deliveries, much to the annoyance of Iranian officials. | Legislation passed by the House of Representatives on July 7 would essentially block the multibillion-dollar agreements with Boeing and Airbus, despite provisions in the nuclear accord that allowed for such deals. While President Obama is expected to veto that legislation, it has pushed back the clock for the airplane deliveries, much to the annoyance of Iranian officials. |
| “I was not expecting it, but I’m not surprised, either,” said Farhad R. Alavi, managing partner at the Akrivis law group, a Washington firm that specializes in sanctions compliance. “It’s very consistent with past efforts by Congress to undermine the nuclear deal.” | “I was not expecting it, but I’m not surprised, either,” said Farhad R. Alavi, managing partner at the Akrivis law group, a Washington firm that specializes in sanctions compliance. “It’s very consistent with past efforts by Congress to undermine the nuclear deal.” |
| Boeing’s chief executive, Dennis A. Muilenburg, speaking this month at the Farnborough International Airshow in Britain, an important annual industry event, may have added to the skepticism. He said that if his company could not sell planes to Iran Air, the state-run airline, under a memorandum of agreement reached in June, then “nobody should.” | |
| Mr. Muilenburg was alluding to the Airbus deal, which was publicized to great fanfare when President Hassan Rouhani of Iran visited France, where Airbus has its headquarters, in January. | Mr. Muilenburg was alluding to the Airbus deal, which was publicized to great fanfare when President Hassan Rouhani of Iran visited France, where Airbus has its headquarters, in January. |
| The Iranians are also finding it difficult to find financing from foreign banks still skittish about doing business with the country. The depressed price of oil, Iran’s main export, is not helping matters. | The Iranians are also finding it difficult to find financing from foreign banks still skittish about doing business with the country. The depressed price of oil, Iran’s main export, is not helping matters. |
| Further doubts have been stoked by presidential uncertainties in Iran and the United States. President Rouhani, a moderate who made the ending of nuclear-related sanctions a priority when elected in 2013, is now engulfed in a scandal involving inflated government wages that could doom his hopes for a second term, with Iranian elections less than a year away. | Further doubts have been stoked by presidential uncertainties in Iran and the United States. President Rouhani, a moderate who made the ending of nuclear-related sanctions a priority when elected in 2013, is now engulfed in a scandal involving inflated government wages that could doom his hopes for a second term, with Iranian elections less than a year away. |
| Iran is also warily contemplating the possibility that Donald J. Trump, the Republican nominee for president of the United States, whose disdain for the nuclear accord is well known, could win in November. Whether he would try to withdraw from the accord is unclear. | Iran is also warily contemplating the possibility that Donald J. Trump, the Republican nominee for president of the United States, whose disdain for the nuclear accord is well known, could win in November. Whether he would try to withdraw from the accord is unclear. |
| The delayed aircraft deals have sent ripples of uncertainty through the aviation industry, potentially affecting anticipated work by financial institutions, suppliers, service providers, insurers, reinsurers and others, according to lawyers knowledgeable about how large aircraft purchase contracts are handled. | The delayed aircraft deals have sent ripples of uncertainty through the aviation industry, potentially affecting anticipated work by financial institutions, suppliers, service providers, insurers, reinsurers and others, according to lawyers knowledgeable about how large aircraft purchase contracts are handled. |
| Iranian aviation officials, impatient to begin rejuvenating the country’s aging fleet of 250 aircraft — of which more than a third are said to be grounded — have hinted they may go elsewhere to buy planes. | Iranian aviation officials, impatient to begin rejuvenating the country’s aging fleet of 250 aircraft — of which more than a third are said to be grounded — have hinted they may go elsewhere to buy planes. |
| The Iranians have expressed interest in a midsize jet under development by Japan’s Mitsubishi conglomerate, Reuters reported recently. In another possible sign of reduced expectations, there is speculation that the Iranians may cancel orders for 12 Airbus A380 jumbo jets, part of the 118-plane deal with Airbus that Mr. Rouhani announced seven months ago. | The Iranians have expressed interest in a midsize jet under development by Japan’s Mitsubishi conglomerate, Reuters reported recently. In another possible sign of reduced expectations, there is speculation that the Iranians may cancel orders for 12 Airbus A380 jumbo jets, part of the 118-plane deal with Airbus that Mr. Rouhani announced seven months ago. |
| Doubts also have emerged about whether Iran can lease new planes as an alternative, or a supplement, to buying them. | Doubts also have emerged about whether Iran can lease new planes as an alternative, or a supplement, to buying them. |
| Industry analysts say leasing companies could have difficulties repossessing the planes in the event Iran is found to have violated the nuclear accord or to be using the planes for purposes other than civilian transportation. | Industry analysts say leasing companies could have difficulties repossessing the planes in the event Iran is found to have violated the nuclear accord or to be using the planes for purposes other than civilian transportation. |
| Iran has not signed the Cape Town Convention, an agreement on international procedures for recovering “mobile assets” like aircraft. | Iran has not signed the Cape Town Convention, an agreement on international procedures for recovering “mobile assets” like aircraft. |
| “A lot of people who lease planes will look at that and say, ‘No, thank you,’” said Richard L. Aboulafia, vice president of analysis at Teal Group, an aerospace consulting firm in Fairfax, Va. | “A lot of people who lease planes will look at that and say, ‘No, thank you,’” said Richard L. Aboulafia, vice president of analysis at Teal Group, an aerospace consulting firm in Fairfax, Va. |
| Mr. Aboulafia also expressed skepticism about the possibility of Iran’s becoming an important customer to either Boeing or Airbus. Most of the international routes to Iran have been claimed by airlines in neighboring Persian Gulf states, with service and reliability that Iran will have trouble matching. | Mr. Aboulafia also expressed skepticism about the possibility of Iran’s becoming an important customer to either Boeing or Airbus. Most of the international routes to Iran have been claimed by airlines in neighboring Persian Gulf states, with service and reliability that Iran will have trouble matching. |
| “Iran’s jetliner requirements could be real, but only if Tehran also agreed to reform its miserable state-owned economy, create private-sector airlines and adhere to international finance norms,” Mr. Aboulafia wrote in an opinion piece published July 7 in Aviation Week, an industry magazine. “There are no plans to do anything like this.” | “Iran’s jetliner requirements could be real, but only if Tehran also agreed to reform its miserable state-owned economy, create private-sector airlines and adhere to international finance norms,” Mr. Aboulafia wrote in an opinion piece published July 7 in Aviation Week, an industry magazine. “There are no plans to do anything like this.” |
| Even under a newly relaxed sanctions regime stipulated by the nuclear accord, both Boeing and Airbus need licenses from the United States Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control to sell aircraft to Iran. Airbus planes use American parts that are subject to United States government approval. | Even under a newly relaxed sanctions regime stipulated by the nuclear accord, both Boeing and Airbus need licenses from the United States Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control to sell aircraft to Iran. Airbus planes use American parts that are subject to United States government approval. |
| Both Boeing and Airbus have repeatedly said they are awaiting the licenses and cannot proceed without them. Treasury officials have declined to comment on when the licenses might be issued. | Both Boeing and Airbus have repeatedly said they are awaiting the licenses and cannot proceed without them. Treasury officials have declined to comment on when the licenses might be issued. |
| Boeing has rejected accusations by some congressional critics that its desire to sell airplanes to a country hostile to the United States is wrongheaded. | Boeing has rejected accusations by some congressional critics that its desire to sell airplanes to a country hostile to the United States is wrongheaded. |
| “Basically what we’ve told them is, ‘Look: The U.S. government and five other governments negotiated this agreement. Airplanes were a part of it,” Tim D. Neale, a Boeing spokesman, said in a telephone interview. | “Basically what we’ve told them is, ‘Look: The U.S. government and five other governments negotiated this agreement. Airplanes were a part of it,” Tim D. Neale, a Boeing spokesman, said in a telephone interview. |
| He also suggested that Boeing was not prepared to relinquish any competitive opportunity to Airbus concerning the Iranian market. Iranian aviation officials have said they will need 500 planes in coming years. | He also suggested that Boeing was not prepared to relinquish any competitive opportunity to Airbus concerning the Iranian market. Iranian aviation officials have said they will need 500 planes in coming years. |
| “If Airbus were able to go into that market and we weren’t able to be in there, too, and if Iran stays on the straight and narrow path and the moderates prevail politically and the market really grows in years ahead,” Mr. Neale said, “they would have that market to themselves.” | “If Airbus were able to go into that market and we weren’t able to be in there, too, and if Iran stays on the straight and narrow path and the moderates prevail politically and the market really grows in years ahead,” Mr. Neale said, “they would have that market to themselves.” |