Iran has one of the world’s worst air safety records and in the past 30 years, plane crashes have killed more than 1,700 people.

One Iranian pilot forced to crash land a passenger plane says sanctions are making it dangerous to fly. That’s because Iran has been forced to find parts on the black market. Al Jazeera’s Soraya Lennie reports from Tehran.

On March 16, President Obama notified Congress that he would utilize his humanitarian waiver authority to allow repairs for fifteen unsafe engines being used in Iranian civilian planes in order to prevent such tragedies.

By taking positive steps like utilizing the humanitarian waiver, the President can demonstrate that we stand with the Iranian people.

But now, Rep. Sherman has introduced legislation, H.R. 1655, to revoke President Obama’s humanitarian waiver authority.  Sherman says we should not allow repairs for Iranian planes, even to prevent civilian deaths, until Iran ends its nuclear program.

The lives of ordinary Iranians are being used as pawns in the dispute over Iran’s nuclear program.  The Iranian people have suffered a lot because of this ‘hawkish’ attitude of US lawmakers.

This legislation has already been cosponsored by Ted Poe (R-TX), Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY), Edward Royce (R-CA), Heath Shuler (D-NC), and Shelley Berkley (D-NV).