Boeing offers details on Iran deal, insisting all was done legally

New York

THE Boeing Co has offered new details on its proposed passenger aircraft deal with Iran and rejected suggestions that it had not done sufficient homework in identifying end users of the planes.

In a letter to congressional critics of the politically delicate deal, Boeing said Iran Air, the national airline, intended to buy 80 passenger planes in a variety of models worth US$17.6 billion and lease 29 of the company's 737s, with deliveries projected to begin as early as next year.