U.S. authorities have charged an Iranian businessman with conspiracy, illegal export and smuggling. Milad Jafari was secretly charged with these acts in July of 2010, but the 11-count indictment was just unsealed today. The Justice Department accuses Jafari of acting "as a 'lifeline' to his country's missile program by smuggling metals and other vital materials from the United States in violation of a trade embargo."
Officials say Jafari ran businesses in Istanbul and Tehran that would buy metals from U.S. companies and export them through Turkey to hide their true destination. (Due to the trade embargo, exports to Iran are prohibited without authorization from the Treasury Department.) Between 2007 and late 2008, Jafari's network facilitated more than $7 million in transactions for subordinates of Iran's Aerospace Industries Organization.
The Treasury Department has designated Jafari and his five companies as proliferators of weapons of mass destruction. The FBI's National Security Branch investigated the case. Sean Joyce, executive assistant director, had this to say:
Shutting down the illegal acquisition of material destined for use in weapons programs is among the highest priorities in the FBI...We'll continue to pursue illegal acquisition efforts and protect our nation from the grave threat these WMD-related activities pose to our national security.
This Fox News article contains detailed information on the indictment. It looks like several of the U.S. companies involved in these transactions could've avoided a lot of trouble with End-Use Manager!
