Boeing says it will follow US policy on Iran after Trump withdraws from nuclear deal

File photo showing a Boeing B777 passenger aircraft taking off. (Reuters)
Updated 08 May 2018
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Boeing says it will follow US policy on Iran after Trump withdraws from nuclear deal

New York: Boeing said Tuesday it will continue to take its cue from US government policy on sales to Iran after President Donald Trump announced the US would withdraw from the Iran nuclear pact.
“Following today’s announcement, we will consult with the US government on next steps,” said Gordon Johndroe, a vice president of government operations communications.
“As we have throughout this process, we’ll continue to follow the US government’s lead.”
The statement was released by the aerospace giant shortly after Trump’s remarks again lambasting the 2015 agreement as “defective at its core.”
Boeing chief executive Dennis Muilenburg said last month the company has delayed deliveries of 777 planes to Iran amid the Trump administration’s reconsideration of the nuclear deal.
After lengthy negotiations and tight oversight by the Obama administration, Boeing in December 2016 announced a landmark agreement to sell Iran Air 80 aircraft valued at $16.6 billion.
The aircraft had been expected to be delivered starting in late 2018. However, Muilenburg said financial targets this year had not accounted for plane deliveries to Iran.
Boeing also had announced a contract in April 2017 to sell Iran Aseman Airlines 30 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft for $3 billion, with purchase rights for another 30 aircraft. Deliveries were to begin in 2022.
Shares of Dow member dropped 0.8 percent to $337.72 in afternoon trading.


Oman’s non-oil exports rise 7.5% as diversification gains traction 

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Oman’s non-oil exports rise 7.5% as diversification gains traction 

RIYADH: Oman’s non-oil exports rose 7.5 percent to 6.7 billion Omani rials ($17.4 billion) in 2025, highlighting diversification gains even as lower crude prices dragged overall export earnings lower. 

Data from the National Centre for Statistics and Information showed re-export activity grew faster, increasing 20.3 percent year on year to 2.05 billion rials, supported by stronger trade flows through the Sultanate’s ports and logistics hubs. 

The expansion reflects government efforts to boost industrial output and develop export-oriented sectors as Oman works to reduce reliance on hydrocarbons under its economic diversification strategy. 

The improvement in non-oil trade follows Fitch Ratings’ decision in December to upgrade Oman to investment-grade status, raising its long-term foreign-currency rating to BBB- from BB+. The agency cited stronger public finances, an improved external position, and continued fiscal discipline, noting government debt had declined to around 36 percent of gross domestic product in 2025 from about 68 percent in 2020. 

“The Sultanate of Oman has made notable advancements in diversifying its exports and enhancing its economy sustainably, particularly through non-oil sectors,” said Raymond Khoury, partner and public sector lead at Arthur D. Little Middle East.  

He added: “To build on this progress, it is crucial to increase investments in modern technologies like artificial intelligence, especially by establishing advanced data centers to support digital sovereignty and integrating AI into manufacturing and agriculture to boost productivity and further diversify the export portfolio.” 

The newly released data further showed that products from chemical and related industries, metal products, plastics, as well as machinery and electrical equipment were among the most prominent Omani non-oil exports last year. 

The figures also indicated a decline in the value of oil and gas exports, which fell to 14.5 billion rials, marking a 15.2 percent year-on-year decrease. 

Oil exports were affected by a drop in the average price of Omani crude to $71 per barrel last year, compared with $80.8 per barrel in 2024. 

Total oil exports last year reached 307.9 million barrels, compared with 308.4 million barrels in 2024, while average daily oil production increased from 992,600 barrels per day in 2024 to more than one million barrels per day in 2025. 

The data also showed that the value of Oman’s merchandise exports reached 23.2 billion rials last year, reflecting a 7.1 percent decline from 2024, mainly due to lower oil export revenues. Merchandise imports, meanwhile, rose by 2.7 percent during the same period to exceed 17.1 billion rials in 2025. 

Statistics further indicated that Oman’s total merchandise trade stood at 40.4 billion rials in 2025, compared with 41.7 billion rials in 2024, reflecting the decline in oil export values. 

Regarding trading partners for non-oil exports, the UAE topped the list with more than 1.31 billion rials in 2025, up 25.3 percent year on year. 

The value of Omani non-oil exports to Saudi Arabia rose from 849 million rials to 1.07 billion rials during the same period, while exports to India increased by 6 percent to approximately 700 million rials. Meanwhile, non-oil exports to South Korea and the US declined by 26.1 percent and 13.3 percent, respectively. 

The UAE also ranked as Oman’s largest partner in re-export activities last year, accounting for 35.2 percent of total re-export trade, which amounted to 2.05 billion rials. The value of goods re-exported to the UAE reached 724 million rials, marking annual growth of 27.2 percent. 

Iran ranked second with 365 million rials, registering a modest increase of 1.6 percent compared with the previous year. The UK came third with 207 million rials, followed by Saudi Arabia in fourth place with 191 million rials and India in fifth with 84 million rials. 

Merchandise imports from the UAE increased by 5.4 percent during the year, exceeding 4.1 billion rials. 

Imports from China rose by 5.7 percent to 1.93 billion rials, while imports from India declined by 3.8 percent to 1.44 billion rials. Imports from Kuwait fell from 1.69 billion rials to 1.31 billion rials, while imports from Saudi Arabia declined from 1.28 billion rials to 1.21 billion rials.