European plane maker Airbus Group SE on Thursday said it had finalized a controversial deal to sell more than $18 billion worth of jetliners to Iran less than two weeks after rival Boeing Co. inked a similar accord. The blockbuster contracts are among the highest profile deals western companies have signed with Iran after world powers lifted sanctions on the Islamic Republic in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program. The plane deals have become a magnet for U.S. critics of closer ties with Iran. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump in the run-up to election voiced concerns about improving ties with Iran, though hasn’t weighed in significantly since his Nov. 8 election. Airbus, the world’s No. 2 jet maker behind Boeing, said it would sell 100 planes to Iran Air, the country’s flag carrier. The deal includes 46 single-aisle A320 planes, as well as 38 A330 and 16 A350 long-haul […]