Boeing to sell Iran Aseman Airlines 30 of its 737 MAX planes for $3B

April 4 (UPI) -- Boeing on Tuesday said it has signed an agreement with Iran Aseman Airlines, which will purchase 30 of the Seattle-based company's 737 MAX jetliners for about $3 billion.

Boeing and Iran Aseman Airlines signed a memorandum of agreement in which the airline expressed intent to buy the airplanes with a list price value of $3 billion with deliveries scheduled to start in 2022. The agreement also allows Iran Aseman Airlines the rights to purchase an additional 30 737 MAX planes.

In a statement, Boeing said the U.S. Department of Commerce said the the sale would create or sustain about 18,000 jobs in the United States. Boeing said it negotiated the agreement with the approval of the U.S. government following the determination that Iran met its obligations under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the nuclear agreement signed between Iran and China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, United States, Germany and the European Union.

Though negotiations were approved by the U.S. government, the final agreement needs further approval.

"Boeing will look to the Office of Foreign Assets Control for approval to perform under this transaction," Boeing wrote. "Boeing continues to follow the lead of the U.S. government with regards to working with Iran's airlines, and any and all contracts with Iran's airlines are contingent upon U.S. government approval."