U.S. sanctions Iranian and Turkish procurement network supporting AIO

February 1, 2011

The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced sanctions on February 1, 2011 targeting a multi-million dollar procurement network in Iran and Turkey for its direct support of Iran's ballistic missile program. According to Treasury, the network, led by Iranian national Milad Jafari, his brother Mani Jafari, and his father Mohammad Javad Jafari, used companies in Iran and Turkey to obtain specialized metals for subordinates of Iran's Aerospace Industries Organization (AIO). AIO oversees Iran's missile work and is a subsidiary of Iran's Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics. Also sanctioned for their involvement in the Jafari network were Jafari's mother, Mahin Falsafi (who allegedly handled the network's bank accounts at the Export Development Bank of Iran), Turkish nationals Muammer Kuntay Duransoy, and Cagri Duransoy, and the companies Macpar Makina San Ve Tic AS, STEP AS, and Multimat Ltd, all in Istanbul, and Carvana Company and Machine Pardazan Company in Tehran. The indictment against Milad Jafari alleges that, between 2004 and 2007, the network exported or attempted to export welding wire, temperature-resistant stainless steel, Palnicro brazing alloy, bronze bars, and a Keithly digital multimeter to Iranian companies including Sanam Industrial Group, Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group (SHIG), Heavy Metals Industries (HMI), Sahand Aluminum Parts Industrial Company (SAPICO), Alborz Rotating Machines Co., and Electronic Equipment Company.

Footnotes: 

[1] "Treasury Designates Multi-Million Dollar Procurement Network for Directly Supporting Iran's Missile Program," Press Release, U.S. Department of the Treasury, February 1, 2011.

[2] David Lawder, "U.S. Sanctions Iranian and Turkish Firms for Missile Aid," Reuters, February 1, 2011.

[3] Indictment, U.S. v. Milad Jafari, Case No. CR-10-195, U.S. District Court, District of Columbia, July 21, 2010.