Two Indicted for Alleged Efforts to Supply Iran with U.S.-Origin Nuclear Items

July 1, 2012

Publication Type: 

  • International Enforcement Actions

Weapon Program: 

  • Nuclear

Mentioned Suspect Entities & Suppliers: 

Author: 

Wisconsin Project Staff

Parviz Khaki, a 43 year old citizen of Iran, and Zongcheng Yi, a resident of China, were indicted on July 12, 2012 for allegedly participating in a conspiracy between October 2008 and January 2011 to export to Iran U.S.-origin items used to construct gas centrifuges for uranium enrichment, without obtaining the required licenses. Khaki and Yi allegedly attempted to export 20 tons of C-350 maraging steel, pressure transducers, and vacuum pumps and accessories to Iran from the United States. Khaki also allegedly conspired to export 20 tons of 7075-O aluminum alloy rods with a diameter of 80 mm, 20 tons of 7075-T6 aluminum alloy rods with a diameter of 150 mm, Arnokrome III magnetic tape, mass spectrometers, magnetic gauging equipment, a TCH600 nitrogen/hydrogen/oxygen analyzer, and radioactive materials including barium-133, europium-152, cobalt-57, and cadmium-109. Khaki and Yi successfully exported two twister speed lathes and nickel alloy 120 wire from the United States to Iran. Khaki was arrested in the Philippines on May 24, 2012 while Yi remains at large. The maximum potential sentence that Khaki and Yi face is twenty years in prison for conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), twenty years in prison for each IEEPA violation count, five years in prison for conspiring to defraud the United States, ten years in prison for each smuggling count, and twenty years in prison for conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Footnotes: 

[1] "Two Indicted for Alleged Efforts to Supply Iran with U.S.-Materials for Gas Centrifuges to Enrich Uranium," Press Release, U.S. Department of Justice, July 13, 2012.

[2] U.S. v. Parviz Khaki and Zongcheng Yi, U.S. District Court , District of Columbia, July 12, 2012.