Iran has reached an agreement to purchase aircraft from Boeing, news agency Fars reported Tuesday.
“We have reached a deal with the global aviation giant Boeing over the purchase of new planes that could set a new milestone in the country’s efforts to revamp its aging air fleet,” Iranian Minister of Roads and Urban Development Abbas Akhoundi told the news service. He added that the details of the agreement would be announced in the next few days.
Citing “Western and Middle East sources,” Reuters reported Tuesday that the deal would involve the sale or lease of more than 100 Boeing jets to state-owned Iran Air.
Such a sale was made possible by the lifting of some U.S. sanctions against Iran in the wake of the landmark 2015 nuclear deal reached between Iran, the U.S. and five other countries. But it would still have to receive approval from the U.S. government.
In an email Wednesday, Boeing would say only that it has been in talks with Iranian airlines.
“We do not discuss details of ongoing conversations we are having with customers, and our standard practice is to let customers announce any agreements that are reached,” the jet manufacturer said.
A deal between Iran Air and Boeing would come on the heels of the carrier’s agreement in January to purchase 118 jets from Airbus.