A Lebanese national has been sentenced to 44 months in prison for conspiring to illegally export American-made oil rig machinery to Iran in violation of US sanctions, the Justice Department said on Monday.
Brian Assi, also known as Brahim Assi, 63, of Beirut, was convicted in October 2024 of multiple charges including conspiracy to violate US sanctions, attempted unlawful export, smuggling, submitting false export information and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
“The defendant conspired to export millions of dollars of US-made heavy machinery to Iran, a leading state sponsor of terrorism,” said John Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for National Security in a statement.
According to the Justice Department, Assi conspired with individuals tied to Sakht Abzar Pars Co. (SAP-Iran), based in Tehran, to export two US-origin blasthole drill rigs from a manufacturing plant in Florida to Iran without obtaining required licenses.
To conceal Iran’s role, Assi arranged for the equipment to be sold to an Iraq-based distributor as a front, and facilitated shipment to Turkey, with the intention of reexporting the machinery to Iran. He allegedly misled his employer and submitted false information to the US Automated Export System, listing Iraq as the final destination.
The Justice Department said the transaction involved approximately $2.7 million transferred through the US financial system.
