US complying with Iran deal, judge says in Boeing ruling

CHICAGO — A federal judge in a civil case focused on a 2003 attack by terrorists backed by the Iranian government says the Trump administration has notified the court that it is complying with the 2015 multiparty deal designed to restrict Iran’s nuclear program.

The disclosure came in a ruling this week by Chief U.S. District Judge Ruben Castillo in Chicago in which he ordered Boeing to turn over to terror-attack victims details of a $16 billion contract with Iran Air, Iran’s flag carrier, to purchase 80 commercial planes. They’re seeking to collect on a longstanding, $67-million civil judgment against Iran.

President Donald Trump has sharply criticized the nuclear deal hammered out during the Obama administration. In turn, Iran has accused the U.S. of not complying with terms of the deal, which also involved France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Russia and China.

Castillo’s ruling, posted in the court docket Tuesday, rejects Boeing’s contention that providing the contract details to the victims would not only undermine the mega-contract with Iran Air — but could jeopardize the nuclear deal itself. That deal lifted sanctions on Iran and many hailed the Boeing contract in 2016 as an example of how the nuclear agreement benefited both countries.