The company is Fokker Services, which is what is left of the company that once made Fokker aircraft before going into bankruptcy.
The Dutch daily De Telegraaf reported that Fokker Services turned itself in to the American authorities and explained that it did not know that US sanctions had been tightened to exclude sales of aircraft spare parts.
But such sales have been banned for three decades.
Fokker Services told De Telegraaf that it was in talks with the United States over financial penalties for its actions.
The Islamic Republic has long complained bitterly that the United States refuses to sell it aircraft parts. But it has been obvious that Iran was getting parts or it would not have been able to keep flying its Boeings 32 years after the revolution.
A key point is whether all or most of the parts came through Fokker or if Fokker was just one of a multitude of suppliers. If Fokker was a major supplier, its elimination could have an impact on Iran’s ability to keep its Boeings flying.
Last week, it was also reported that Dutch bank ING had failed to adhere to American banking rules on dealing with Iran and faces a possible fine in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
