UANI

"A US activist group on Wednesday urged French automaker Renault and its Japanese partner Nissan to pull their business out of Iran because of its suspected program to develop nuclear weapons. In an open letter to Carlos Ghosn, the Renault-Nissan Alliance's chief executive officer, the advocacy group United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) said, 'Renault's business dealings in Iran directly support the Iranian regime's ability to develop its illegal nuclear weapons program, support its terrorist proxies and puruse a brutal campaign of repression against the Iranian people.'... The UANI letter said it was 'disturbing' that Nissan was getting a contract valued at about $1 billion to manufacture a new fleet of New York City taxis while the automaker continues to do business in Iran. 'New York taxpayer dollars should not benefit a corporation, like Nissan, that partners with a regime that is the world's number one state sponsor of terror and has formed an alliance with al-Qaeda,' UANI said." (AFP, "US activists pressure Renault-Nissan to leave Iran," 4/5/2012)

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"Nissan has a longtime relationship with the Iranian car company Pars Khodro Co., which has been producing Nissan cars and trucks for the Japanese company for sale in Iran since at least 1987. Nissan also does business with the United States government, selling the Department of Defense cars and trucks." From 2000-2009, the company was the recipient of $15.7 million US federal funds.  Their investments in Iran are currently active.  (The New York Times, "Profiting from Iran, and the US," 3/6/2010)

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Nissan has a production facility in Tehran with Pars Khodro, a major Iranian automobile manufacturer. In 2008, Pars Khodro manufactured the Nissan Pickup, Maxima and Paladin in this facility. In 2007, Pars Khodro produced 7,967 Nissan vehicles. (Nissan, “Profile 2008”)

Pars Khodro lists on its website that it sells and/or manufactures the Nissan Murano, Maxima, Pickup, Roniz [Paladin] and Teana car models. (Company Website)

Nissan Murano in Iran (Courtesy of IranSupercars)