WASHINGTON: Three US based businessmen have been charged with participating in a long-running conspiracy to illegally export sensitive electronics to Iran, the Justice Department said.
US authorities allege that the three men and two others worked for an Iranian procurement network that over the past five years evaded U.S. sanctions and licensing systems designed to stop transfers of sophisticated technology. Among the items shipped to Iran, US authorities said, were microelectronics that can be used in surface-to-air and cruise missiles.
Four companies also were charged in the indictment.
“Violations of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act not only can undercut the impact of US sanctions, but can also serve to undermine U.S. foreign policy and adversely affect national security,” Assistant Attorney General John Carlin said in a statement.
The charges come after the US and five other world powers reached a preliminary agreement with Iran on April 2 aimed at preventing the Islamic Republic from producing a nuclear weapon in return for lifting economic sanctions.
The 24-count indictment unsealed alleges that Bahram Mechanic, 69, a naturalized U.S. citizen in Houston, led a scheme that exported sophisticated electronics to Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions and export restrictions.
