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Excerpts from previous status reports, by subject

Removed on December 20, 2007

 

 

Iranian entities targeted by the United States
In September 2007, two Iranian entities, the Aerospace Industries Organization and the Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group (SHIG), were designated under Executive Order 12938 for their proliferation activities; both are involved in Iran’s ballistic missile work. The designation bans U.S. government procurement from and assistance to these entities and prohibits them from selling their goods in the United States—none of which is likely to sting much, as these entities have no direct dealings with the United States. And in July 2007, five Iranian entities were added to the U.S. Department of Commerce Entity List for their role in mass destruction weapon related activities. This largely symbolic listing requires a license for exports and reexports to the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, the Mesbah Energy Co., Kala Electric Co., Shahid Bakeri Industrial Group and SHIG, with a presumption of denial.

In June 2007, the Treasury Department designated four Iranian entities—Pars Trash, Farayand Technique, Fajr Industries Group and Mizan Machine Manufacturing Group—and two individuals—Mohammed Qannadi and Ali Hajinia Leilabadi—as proliferators of weapons of mass destruction under the Executive Order 13382. Pars Trash and Farayand Technique are involved in manufacturing, testing and assembling centrifuges and are linked to Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization; Fajr Industries Group and Mizan Machine Manufacturing Group are involved in missile work and have ties to Iran’s Aerospace Industries Organization. Iran’s Defense Industries Organization was designated under this Executive Order in March, and Kalaye Electric Company, Kavoshyar Company, and Pioneer Energy Industries Company were targeted in February. As of December 2007, the Executive Order imposes financial penalties on 44 Iranian entities.

U.S. state governments take action
A number of U.S. state governments have also sought to punish Iran economically by preventing their state pension funds and other state money from being invested in companies that do business with Iran, and notably Iran’s energy sector. An October 2007 California law, the California Public Divest from Iran Act, bars two of the biggest U.S. public pension funds from investing in companies doing business with Iran. Florida passed a similar law in June.

U.S. Congress tightens sanctions
In late September, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the Iran Counter-Proliferation Act of 2007, a series of amendments to the Iran Sanctions Act that remove the President’s ability to waive sanctions against foreign companies investing more than $40 million a year in the development of Iran’s petroleum resources. The bill has been referred to the Senate. In late July, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Iran Sanctions Enabling Act. The bill authorizes state and local governments to divest from companies with investments of $20 million or more in Iran’s energy sector and requires the Treasury Department to make public a list of companies or other entities that do so. U.S. Senator Barack Obama has introduced a similar measure in the Senate.