USA jealous of Iran's interest in Russia

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Several political and economic analysts in Russia suppose that one of the reasons for partial lifting of the US sanctions concerning Iran’s airspace were talks between Tehran and Moscow about buying Russian aircrafts. On the eve, the US State Department has announced that Washington agreed to US Federal Aviation Administration’s inquiry about providing spare parts and service to Iranian airbuses. Besides, the State Department informed the Congress on it and appealed to the US Department of the Treasury asking to issue an appropriate permission.

As a source in the Russian embassy to Iran is quoted as saying to IRNA, the statement made by the US State Department at the very moment, when Tehran and Moscow are having final talks on buying and leasing Russian passenger jets shows Washington’s concern over losing Iranian airbus market. According to an Iranian expert, the USA is afraid that operation of Russian planes by Iran, which are better than their Western analogues, will open not only Iranian market for Russian manufacturers, but Mideast airbus market too. “The statement of the US State Department in practice shows that American companies are concerned with future economic losses, and not with US humanism concerning the Iranian people, as the US administration is trying to present it,” the diplomat stresses.

It is worth mentioning, Iran Air Tour company signed a contract on purchase of five Tu-204 jets. The aircrafts will be delivered to Iran by the end of 2008. Talks with the Russian side on it were held within seven years, and finally the sides achieved a mutually admissible agreement. The agreement was signed on September 16. The Russian company obliged to deliver the aircrafts to Iran within 18 months.