Tupolev Design Bureau (Zhukovsky) could see its Tu-204SM twinjet being produced in Iran as both countries strive to wean themselves off of their dependence on Western designed and manufactured aircraft.

Russia's Moscow Times states the subject was broached by representatives who met in Tehran earlier this week for the 11th Session of the Iran-Russian Trade Council. The meeting primarily focussed on a ground breaking oil-for-goods deal signed in August which could see Russia take 500,000 barrels of oil per day of Iranian oil exports in return for goods, services and equipment.

The prospect of selling Tu-204s to Iran has been explored in the past and was on the cusp of being approved only for the US State Department to scuttle the deal on grounds that Pratt & Whitney owns part of the intellectual property rights for the aircraft's PS-90A2 engines.

Iran already manufactures the Iran-140, a variant of the An-140 assembled under licence from Antonov Design Bureau (ADB, Gostomel) by HESA Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industries (Isfahan Hesa).