TEHRAN- Iran’s flag-carrier Iran Air announced on Saturday it was to receive five new planes from Franco-Italian planemaker ATR on Sunday, a day before the renewal of U.S. sanctions.

As IRNA reported, the new ATR-72600 planes will land on Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport at 9:00 am (local time), making the total number of ATR’s deliveries to Iran 13 by the time. The planes are part of an Iran Air-ATR deal on purchase of 20 new aircraft.
On July 31, the French minister of economy and finance expressed hope that the ATR aircraft manufacturer will be able to get permission from the United States to deliver eight planes to Iran before August 6 despite the sanctions imposed on Tehran.
“I am confident that the United States will give us authorization to deliver these planes,” said Bruno Le Maire, Reuters reported at the time.
Under the shadow of the new U.S. sanctions imposed on Tehran, international plane manufacturers that use at least 10 percent U.S. made parts in their products have decided to avoid the Iranian market.

HJ/MA