IRNA – Delivering the five ATR passenger aircraft to Iran is the European Union's positive step towards fulfilling its obligations, and the result of wisdom and constructive talk with the world, Iranian Minister of Road and Urban Development said on Sunday.

Speaking at Tehran's Mehrabad Airport, Abbas Akhoundi expressed hope that with cooperation and consultation with other world powers, such as China, Russia, EU, India, Turkey and neighbor countries, Iran can be relieved from the difficult conditions.

Five new European ATR passenger aircraft landed in Tehran's International Mehrabad Airport Sunday morning amid the US official rhetoric on strict measures against Iran. With the five aircraft joining the Iranian flag carrier airline, Iran Air, the number of the ATR 72-600 planes delivered to Iran reached 13.

'Today, the world is facing a new phenomenon and an individual with the gambling culture, such as Donald Trump, that is challenging the world each day with a new environment and has imposed an acute uncertainty on it,' Akhoundi said.

It is important to know how to act under such conditions to remain unaffected by the US moves, he said.

Iran signed a deal to buy twenty ATR aircraft in 2016 when the economic sanctions were lifted as a result of the 2015 landmark nuclear deal. However, following the US withdrawal from the deal in May and re-imposing sanctions on Iran, it was speculated that the manufacturer would not be able to deliver the rest of Iran's ATR on order.

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on July 31 that his country is after getting green light from the US to supply Iran with aircraft.

He said Europe needed to react quickly to defend its economic sovereignty.

'Europe must provide itself with the tools it needs to defend itself against extra-territorial sanctions,' Mr Le Maire stressed.

American and European-made plane spare parts worth of 5 million euros have also been imported along with the five ATRs, according to the Iranian minister.