State TV: Iran invites Boeing to Tehran for aircraft talks
Iran has invited Boeing Co. to Tehran to negotiate a possible aircraft purchase, though Boeing said Friday it would only be offering the country "fleet planning."
Iranian state television, as well as semiofficial Iranian news agencies, said Transportation Minister Abbas Akhoundi as making the announcement on Thursday. He gave no timeline for the visit, but said U.S. officials gave Boeing "the green light" for commercial talks with Iran. John Dern, a spokesman for Chicago-based Boeing, said the airplane manufacturer would only engage in "commercial passenger aircraft fleet planning with Iranian airlines approved by the US government." Boeing's US license to work in Iran "does not cover sale or lease negotiations. Any engagement Boeing has with the Iranians will be limited to what is authorized by the license," he said in a statement. He declined to elaborate. "Beyond that, it is not our policy to discuss our plans for meetings with airlines," he said.
