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Action taken in support of the re-imposition of UN sanctions on Iran lifted under UNSCR 2231

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned three Deputy Directors of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) and a number of its subsidiaries. Companies supplying equipment for Iran’s ballistic missile production overseen by Iran’s Aerospace Industries Organization (AIO) and senior officials working on Iran’s missile programs have also been designated. Today’s actions by Treasury, the Department of State, and the Department of Commerce target entities and personnel directly involved in Iran’s nuclear, ballistic missile, and conventional arms programs.

“The Trump Administration remains fully committed to its maximum pressure campaign against the Iranian regime to prevent the production of a nuclear weapon and other malign activities,” said Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin. “The Treasury Department will not hesitate to target anyone who trades conventional arms with Iran, provides support to its nuclear program, or facilitates its development of ballistic missiles.”

Treasury’s designations are being taken pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13382, which provides authority to impose sanctions on proliferators of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and their supporters. These actions are being taken in support of the effort to implement and enforce UN sanctions on Iran previously lifted under UN Security Council Resolution 2231.

SANCTIONS ON IRAN’S NUCLEAR PROGRAM
Treasury designated Mohammad Ghannadi Maragheh, AEOI’s Deputy Head of Nuclear Planning and Strategic Supervision, and Javad Karimi Sabet, AEOI’s Deputy Head and the head of AEOI’s Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute (NSTRI) pursuant to E.O. 13382 for their relationship to the AEOI, a central part of Iran’s nuclear program. UN sanctions on Ghannadi Maragheh and Karimi Sabet were lifted in January 2016 under UN Security Council Resolution 2231, but have now been reimposed under “snapback”; therefore, these individuals have been added to OFAC’s list of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN List).

On January 30, 2020, the State Department sanctioned the AEOI for having engaged, or attempted to engage, in activities or transactions that have materially contributed to, or pose a risk of materially contributing to, the proliferation of WMD by a foreign country of proliferation concern. The Advanced Technologies Company of Iran (IATC), Mesbah Energy Company, and NSTRI are entities subordinate to the AEOI and active components of Iran’s nuclear program. Treasury previously identified IATC, Mesbah Energy Company and NSTRI as part of the Government of Iran on November 5, 2018. Their listings have been updated to reflect their designation pursuant to E.O. 13382 and their role as key components of Iran’s nuclear program. AEOI spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi and Deputy Director Pezhman Rahimian, who heads the sanctioned AEOI-affiliated Nuclear Fuel and Raw Materials Production Company, were also designated pursuant to E.O. 13382.

SANCTIONS ON IRAN’S BALLISIC MISSILE PROGRAMS

Treasury designated Iran-based Mammut Industrial Group (Mammut Industries) and its subsidiary Mammut Diesel pursuant to E.O. 13382 for providing support to an entity in Iran’s ballistic missile program. Mammut Industries and Mammut Diesel are key producers and suppliers of military-grade, dual-use goods for Iran’s missile programs. Since early 2000, Mammut Industries has supported the production of ballistic missile equipment for Iran’s AIO and specifically, Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group (SHIG), Iran’s primary developer of liquid propelled missiles. As of late-2019, Mammut Industries continued to support SHIG’s production of ballistic missile equipment. Behzad Ferdows and Mehrzad Ferdows are two of the shareholders of Mammut Industries, and Mehrzad Ferdows is also the company’s CEO. Mohammad Reza Dezfulian is the Managing Director of Mammut Diesel. Behzad Ferdows, Mehrzad Ferdows, and Mohammad Reza Dezfulian were designated pursuant to E.O. 13382.

Also designated pursuant to E.O. 13382 are AIO official Asghar Esma’ilpur and long-time SHIG official Mohammad Gholami. Esma’ilpur has served as the Director of SHIG’s Shahid Haj Ali Movahed Research Center, which has played a key role in Iranian-North Korean missile cooperation. Treasury designated Shahid Haj Ali Movahed Research Center pursuant to E.O. 13382 on March 24, 2016 under the name Shahid Movahed Industries and has now updated its SDN listing to reflect this new alias.

Treasury also updated the SDN listing for Seid Mir Ahmad Nooshin. Nooshin previously served as the Director of SHIG and, in that role, was key to negotiations with the North Koreans on long-range missile development projects. Nooshin’s entry on the SDN List was updated to reflect his current position as the Director of AIO.

BASES FOR DESIGNATION

Advanced Technologies Company of Iran, Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute, and Mesbah Energy Company are being designated for being owned or controlled by the AEOI, a person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 13382.

Pezhman Rahimian, Behrouz Kamalvandi, Javad Karimi Sabet, and Mohammad Ghannadi Maragheh are being designated for acting or purporting to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the AEOI, a person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 13382.

Mammut Industries is being designated for having provided, or attempted to provide, financial, material, technological or other support for, or goods or services in support of SHIG, a person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 13382.

Mammut Diesel is being designated for being owned or controlled by Mammut Industries, a person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 13382.

Behzad Ferdows and Mehrzad Ferdows are being designated for acting or purporting to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Mammut Industries, a person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 13382.

Mohammad Reza Dezfulian is being designated for acting or purporting to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Mammut Diesel, a person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 13382.

Asghar Esma’ilpur is being designated for acting or purporting to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, AIO, a person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 13382.

Mohammad Gholami is being designated for acting or purporting to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, SHIG, a person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 13382.

Concurrent with this action, the Department of Commerce is adding the names of five Iranian nuclear scientists to its Entity List. Also concurrent with today’s Treasury designations, the State Department is imposing sanctions on AEOI officials Hamid Reza Ghadirian and Ahmad Asghari Shiva’i pursuant to E.O. 13382.

SANCTIONS IMPLICATIONS

As a result of today’s action, all property and interests in property of these targets that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons must be blocked and reported to OFAC. OFAC’s regulations generally prohibit all dealings by U.S. persons or within the United States (including transactions transiting the United States) that involve any property or interests in property of blocked or designated persons.

In addition, persons that engage in certain transactions with the individuals and entities designated today may themselves be exposed to sanctions or subject to an enforcement action. Furthermore, unless an exception applies, any foreign financial institution that knowingly facilitates a significant transaction for any of the individuals or entities designated today could be subject to U.S. sanctions.

View identifying information on the individuals and entities designated today.

 

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