Boeing Co says it has signed an agreement with Iran Air "expressing the airline's intent" to buy its aircraft, setting up the biggest business deal between the Islamic Republic and America since the 1979 US Embassy takeover in Tehran.
Already, one Iranian official has said the deal could involve 100 aircraft while another has suggested Iranian airlines may purchase aeroplanes worth $US25 billion ($A33.56 billion) from Chicago-based Boeing, welcome news to workers on its massive assembly plants around Seattle and company stockholders.
Boeing shares were up 25 cents on Tuesday to $US132.75 on the New York Stock Exchange.
However, the long-standing enmity between the US and Iran, as well as other sanctions, still could complicate any agreement - even after last year's nuclear deal.
Boeing issued a statement to The Associated Press saying that it had signed the Iran Air agreement "under authorisations from the US government following a determination that Iran had met its obligations under the nuclear accord reached last summer."
"Boeing will continue to follow the lead of the US government with regards to working with Iran's airlines, and any and all contracts with Iran's airlines will be contingent upon US government approval," it said.
Boeing's statement offered no further details. Fakher Daghestani, a Dubai-based spokesman for the manufacturer, declined to elaborate.
Iran Air, the country's national carrier, said Monday it wanted to buy new Boeing 737s and 777s.
Earlier on Tuesday, Iran's Transportation Minister Abbas Akhoundi said possible deals between the Islamic Republic and Boeing could be worth as much as $US25 billion, on par with the country's earlier agreement with its European rival, Airbus.
Iran also has ordered 20 aeroplanes from French-Italian aircraft manufacturer ATR.
