The United States announced in October 2006 that it would permit the sale of certain airplane components to Iran's national carrier, Iran Air, even as broad American sanctions remained in place against the country.
The decision followed a Federal Aviation Administration recommendation that US-made engines on specific Airbus aircraft undergo immediate overhaul. Some of those planes are operated by Iran Air. The Departments of Commerce and State notified Congress of their approval for the transaction.
Under a Treasury Department license, a US firm would be authorized to export parts and technical data for American-built aero-turbine engines. All repair work must be carried out in third countries, with no goods shipped directly to Iran.
The State Department framed the move as a matter of passenger safety, saying the decision was aimed at protecting civilians, including Iranian citizens, rather than benefiting the Iranian government. Washington maintained that its sanctions regime targets the regime, not ordinary Iranians.
The announcement came as the US was simultaneously pressing the United Nations to impose sanctions on Iran over its uranium enrichment activities, which Washington believed were directed toward developing nuclear weapons. American sanctions on Iran date to 1980, following the rupture in diplomatic ties after the 1979 seizure of the US embassy in Tehran.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in October 2006, in its own words.