Iran begins domestic production of Airbus and Boeing aircraft parts amid sanctions

This move by Iran is not unprecedented. In November 2023, it was reported that Russia's Aeroflot sought to replicate parts for its Airbus and Boeing planes amid similar sanctions challenges.

Sanctions against Iran have been recurrent since the 1979 Iranian revolution. Recent measures include those imposed by the European Union on October 14 against three Iranian airlines for transporting weapons in support of Russia's war against Ukraine. Sanctions have also been applied by the United States since 2011, impacting all Iranian airlines.

The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) established under President Barack Obama temporarily lifted some restrictions in 2016 but was later reinstated in November 2018 when Iran Air was blacklisted again.

Sanctions aim to limit military capabilities but have had humanitarian consequences by restricting access to necessary technical support and spare parts for maintenance. This has led Iran to develop its own manufacturing capabilities or resort to grounding aircraft for spare parts.

The US sanctions in 2018 blocked sales of new aircraft entirely while reinforcing ideological debates about compliance with nuclear deal relief promises. These actions also affect European businesses like Airbus due to US influence.

The EU stated: "The Union does not intend to impede air traffic or people-to-people contacts between the Union and Iran in general." However, operational challenges remain as seen with airlines like Austrian Airlines suspending services until February due to these complications.