Iran accuses Trump of throwing Airbus deals into doubt

TEHRAN: Iran warned Wednesday that its multi-billion dollar deals for Airbus planes had been thrown into doubt by US President Donald Trump´s attacks on the nuclear deal.

"Considering Mr Trump's stance on pulling out of the JCPOA (nuclear deal) we must make sure that the licences will remain valid... regardless of any decision taken by US," deputy transport minister Asghar Fakhrieh Kashan told the reformist ILNA news agency.

"As long as uncertainties are not resolved, we will not provide down payments," he said. "Because of these negotiations, there can be delays in payments." A specific clause in the 2015 nuclear deal -- which lifted some international sanctions in exchange for curbs to Iran´s atomic programme -- opened the way for Iran to purchase planes from international suppliers.

Licences were granted the following year by the US Treasury´s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for Airbus to sell 100 planes to national carrier Iran Air, which has also ordered 80 from Boeing. The European firm requires US export licences because some of its parts are manufactured there.