Mozaffar Khazaee, a former engineer for Pratt & Whitney and other defense contractors, was sentenced to 97 months in prison for attempting to export sensitive information about the U.S. Air Force's F-35 and F-22 fighter jet programs to Iran. The dual U.S.-Iranian citizen had pleaded guilty in February to violating the Arms Control Export Act. The 61-year-old was accused of offering to trade the sensitive U.S. military information he had stolen from his employers in exchange for employment at state-run technical universities in Iran.
News Briefs
October 25, 2015
-- Associated Press
October 21, 2015
Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, conditionally endorsed the nuclear agreement reached between Iran and six major world powers in July. In a letter to addressed to President Hassan Rouhani on October 21, Khamenei specified nine conditions for the implementation of the deal. Specifically, the modification of the Arak heavy water reactor and Iran's exchange of enriched uranium for yellowcake will not begin until the International Atomic Energy Agency closes the case on the "possible military dimensions" of Iran's nuclear program. The Supreme Leader also called upon the Supreme National Security Council to study and develop a plan for Iran's nuclear industry to achieve 190,000 SWUs (Separative Work Units enrichment capacity) over the next 15 years.The Supreme Leader's letter comes after Iran's Parliament and Guardian Council both approved the agreement earlier in October.
-- Fars News Agency
October 16, 2015
Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), the state-run media corporation, broadcast footage for the first time on October 15 of what the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) states is one of Iran's underground missile bases. According to the Commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force, Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the military site is 500 meters (1,600 feet) underground and is one of the country's many missile bases. Commander Hajizadeh also said that a new generation of advanced ballistic missiles will replace Iran's current generation of missiles next year.
-- Tasnim News Agency
October 15, 2015
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced on October 15 that the Agency had completed its investigation into Iran's alleged past nuclear weapons work and that Iran had provided the IAEA with the cooperation necessary for its inquiry by the agreed-upon deadline. The Agency is set to issue its complete report on the investigation by December 15.
-- Reuters
October 11, 2015
Iran’s Defense Ministry announced the successful test of a new ballistic missile on October 11. According to Iranian Defense Minister, Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan, the new missile, called the Emad, is an Iranian designed missile with precision-strike capabilities. In his statement, Dehqan singled out the contributions of the scientists and experts of the Aerospace Industries Organization (AIO) of the Defense Ministry.
-- Fars News Agency
September 30, 2015
Saudi-led coalition forces announced on September 30 the seizure of an Iranian fishing boat carrying weapons bound for Houthi militias in Yemen. The coalition said the boat contained 18 anti-armored Concourse shells, 54 anti-tank shells, shell-battery kits, firing guidance systems, launchers, and binocular batteries. Fourteen Iranian sailors were also detained on the boat, which was seized off the coast of southern Oman.
-- Reuters
September 21, 2015
International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Yukiya Amano confirmed that Iran had submitted environmental samples from Parchin, a military base outside of Tehran that is a suspected site of nuclear weapons experimentation. The samples were collected by Iranians under IAEA monitoring by video and still cameras and GPS tracking. After the samples were taken, IAEA officials visited the Parchin site on September 20 and noted indications of recent renovation work.
-- New York Times
August 12, 2015
Switzerland announced that it is officially lifting sanctions against Iran, becoming the first country to remove its sanctions since the international agreement on Iran's nuclear program was reached on July 14. The Swiss sanctions included a ban on precious metal transactions with Iranian state bodies and the requirement to report trade in Iranian petrochemical products. Swiss companies had also been required to report the transport of Iranian crude oil and petroleum products. These sanctions had been suspended since January 2014.
-- Bloomberg
June 24, 2015
Iran's Guardian Council, a constitutional body that reviews all laws passed by the Iranian parliament, ratified legislation that bans international access to Iranian military sites and scientists. The legislation, which permits conventional inspections of declared nuclear sites in Iran, is now binding law.
-- Associated Press via washingtonpost.com
May 29, 2015
AAG Makina, a Turkish equipment manufacturer, settled one charge of aiding an unauthorized export to Iran with the Bureau of Industry and Security on March 20, 2015. In October 2011, Satco Corporation, a Canadian company, ordered over $47,334 worth of valve parts and a pressure transmitter, which were shipped to AAG Makina in Istanbul from a U.S. supplier. AAG Makina subsequently shipped the items to two Iranian petrochemical companies without authorization from U.S. authorities. AAG Makina employee Murat Peker along with Saeed Talebi worked to facilitate the transfers. The Turkish company agreed to pay a civil penalty of $23,000.
-- The Export Practitioner