The US government has authorised plane manufacturer Boeing to begin discussions with approved Iranian carriers about their fleet requirements.

However, Boeing still needs a separate license to complete any commercial jetliner sales transaction, according to a report by Bloomberg.

The list of approved Iranian carriers would automatically exclude Mahan Air, Iran’s largest privately-owned airline, which is still under the US Treasury Department’s sanctions due to its alleged support for terrorism.

Boeing’s European rival Airbus has approved the sale of some 114 commercial aircraft, valued at $27bn, to Iran in January.

A Middle East spokesperson for Boeing told MEED also in January that “there are many steps that need to be taken should we decide to sell airplanes to Iran’s airlines” and that they will continue to assess the situation.

It is unclear how much time the US government would require prior to releasing a licence for Boeing to start selling to Iran.

It is understood that the Irani government has also widened its aircraft supplier options, with London-based Reuters reporting an ongoing negotiation between the Islamic Republic and Brazil’s Embraer for 50 planes.

The ongoing discussions between Iran and Brazil are also understood to include the potential acquisition of taxis, buses and trucks.

Iran has said it requires up to 90 new planes annually over the next five years to revive its ageing commercial air fleet.