Iranian Entity: Assa Company Limited

According to the U.S. government, controlled by and acts for or on behalf of Iran's Bank Melli, and parent organization of Assa Corporation (see separate entity records); added to the Specially Designated National (SDN) list maintained by the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on December 17, 2008, freezing its assets under U.S. jurisdiction and prohibiting transactions with U.S. parties, pursuant to Executive Order 13382, which targets proliferators of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and their delivery systems.

Allegedly established (with Assa Corporation) as shell companies to disguise Bank Melli's 40% ownership interest in the 650 Fifth Avenue Company - owner of the office building at 650 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY, founded in 1989 as a partnership between the Mostazafan Foundation (now the Avali Foundation) and Bank Melli; since at least 1990, Assa Corporation allegedly transferred rental income from 650 Fifth Avenue Company to Bank Melli through Assa Company Limited without the required U.S. government authorization; targeted by a civil action filed by the U.S. Department of Justice on December 17, 2008, seeking the forfeiture of all right, title and interest of Assa Company Limited, Assa Corporation and Bank Melli in the 650 Fifth Avenue Company as proceeds of alleged violations of the U.S. International Emergency Economic Powers Act and as property involved in alleged money laundering and attempted money laundering; straw owners Davood Shakeri and Fatemeh Aghamiri, residents of Iran representing Bank Melli's interests, each own 50% of Assa Company Limited's share capital.