US Charges UK Man, Several Others With Violation Of Iran Sanctions
The United States has indicted a British man along with his co-conspirators on charges related to the illegal export of sensitive military technologies to Iran.
The United States has indicted a British man along with his co-conspirators on charges related to the illegal export of sensitive military technologies to Iran.
According to a statement released by the Department of Justice on Thursday, Saber Fakih, 46, a UK citizen pleaded guilty Tuesday in a federal court to violations of the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations while another indictment was unsealed charging four other individuals with related offenses arising from the same scheme.
The UK man worked with Canadian citizen Bader Fakih, a United Arab Emirates citizen Altaf Faquih and Iranian nationals Alireza Taghavi and Jalal Rohollahnejad to ship a counter-drone system and an Industrial Microwave System (IMS) from the United States to the Islamic Republic in 2017 and 2018.
The IMS is a high-powered, microwave-based directed-energy weapon system and technology that can be used to take control of an aerial drone.
The indictments allege that Rohollahnejad and Taghavi presented themselves of Rayan Roshd Afzar Company, which has been linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards.
DOJ, the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Commerce cooperated in this case to prevent US technology with military applications from falling into the hands of the Iranian government.
Assistant Director Alan E. Kohler Jr of the FBI's Counterintelligence Division said, “For over 40 years, Iran has continuously attempted to obtain sanctioned items that could be used against Americans or our allies”.
Iran utilizes complicated procurement networks to acquire sensitive dual use items for potential military purposes, said Special Agent in Charge Nasir Khan of the Department of Commerce.
