An Israeli advocacy group is seeking to collect billions in terror-related damages from Iran and in the meantime put a hold on the delivery of dozens of Boeing airliners to Tehran, the Associated Press reports.
The $16.6 billion deal for 80 planes between Boeing and Iran Air has drawn fire from lawmakers, who are concerned that the Iranian airline, which was sanctioned in 2011 for helping Iran’s military ferry weapons to the Syrian regime among other activities, has not stopped its illicit pursuits and will use Boeing planes to sustain them.
The Shurat Hadin-Israel Law Center filed papers on Thursday in an Illinois court and is seeking to block the much-criticized sale until Tehran pays victims’ outstanding claims. The advocacy group has previously represented attack victims in cases against Iran, Syria, and Palestinian groups.
“We are going to seize all 100 airplanes,” said Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, the director of the organization. “Iran should not get the benefit of any new aircraft or airplane parts while the victims of its horrible crimes are forgotten.”
Darshan-Leitner told the AP that Iran owes roughly $43 billion in unsatisfied American judgments.
“If an American company like Boeing is going to profit from multi-billion dollar business ventures with Iran, at least the terror victims will seize whatever Iranian assets are produced as a byproduct of the deal,” she said.
The administration used a “technicality” under the Iran deal to enable the sale for commercial liners. Officials have resisted explaining why restrictions were dropped on Iran Air, and have not said whether the airline has stopped engaging in the activities it was originally sanctioned for.
“If Boeing thinks it will simply sell to Iran Air, which is 60 percent owned by the Iranian government, and pretend it is providing some sort of humanitarian civilian aid to a non-governmental entity, we will reveal the truth,” Darshan-Leitner added.
