The United States has for long years imposed sanctions against the Iranian civilian aviation industry preventing Tehran from buying new Western planes and spare parts.

After a nuclear deal was struck between Iran, the US and other world powers last week, Sherman objected to a provision of the agreement that would enable Iran to purchase spare parts for its civilian airline fleet, which are currently suffering high accident rates due to the sanctions.

"[t]here is no reason we should be helping the Iranians keep these planes in the air...[f]ixing these aircraft is in 180 degree opposition to our sanctions policy," Sherman said, as cited in an article appeared on the Huffington Post website on Wednesday.

Representatives from the P5+1, who reached the interim deal with Iran after a decade-long dispute over its nuclear energy program, agreed to lift some of the unilateral sanctions imposed on Iran’s civilian aviation industry, communication technology, humanitarian work and sports exchanges.

Sherman had previously said that the point of sanctions on Iran is to “hurt the Iranian people,” while Washington claimed they were meant to only target the Iranian government and the nation’s nuclear energy program, not the people.

Despite the negative impact they have had on the Iranian people, many US lawmakers have supported the sanctions imposed by executive order during the Clinton administration.

Many believe the American reckless policies have been responsible for numerous Iranian plane crashes which have left more than 1,700 passengers and crew members dead.

NTJ/NJF