Nasser Karimi and Jon Gambrell

Associated Press

Boeing said Tuesday that it had agreed to sell $3 billion in airplanes to an Iranian airline, deepening the American manufacturer's bet on the Iranian market following the lifting of sanctions.

The company agreed to sell 30 units of the 737 MAX aircraft to Iran Aseman Airlines, which also acquired the rights to buy another 30 at a later date.

The accord must win the approval of the U.S. government. During his presidential campaign, Donald Trump blasted then-President Obama for striking a deal that eased sanctions against Iran in exchange for nuclear program concessions from the country.

But President Trump has also aggressively promoted the revitalization of American manufacturing, including Boeing's investments, and this deal is a major example of a U.S. manufacturer benefiting from overseas business.

A Boeing spokesman did not immediately respond to a question regarding the deal's impact on U.S. jobs.

TODAY IN THE SKY: Boeing rolls out first 737 MAX 9 (story continues below)

But the Chicago-based company said in a statement that "an aerospace sale of this magnitude creates or sustains" about 18,000 American jobs, citing U.S. Department of Commerce figures.

Boeing said it would begin delivering plans to Aseman in 2022. An Aseman spokesman told the Associated Press that deliveries would start in 2019.

The deal comes after Boeing recently agreed to sell 80 passenger planes worth $16.6 billion to Iran Air, the country's leading airline. French airliner Airbus has made similar deals.

Boeing said it had received permission from the U.S. government to negotiate the new deal with Aseman. The U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control will decide whether to authorize the agreement.

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Contributing: AP