Boeing Co (BA.N) has signed an agreement to sell jetliners to Iran Air, the company said on Tuesday, confirming Iranian statements about the deal and briefly sending its shares up sharply in early trading.

Boeing said it had signed a memorandum of understanding with Iran Air "expressing the airline's intent to purchase Boeing commercial passenger airplanes."

Iran Air is the state carrier of Iran, a country with an aging aircraft fleet.

Boeing declined to provide details about the number or type of planes it would sell, nor the timetable for delivery of the aircraft. The order is expected to be a large one, following Iran's agreement in January to purchase 118 Airbus aircraft, worth $27 billion at list prices.

Boeing shares were down 0.3 per cent at $132.35 in early trading on the New York Stock Exchange. Earlier in the day, the stock had climbed to $133.18 from a low of $132.25.