UANI

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday February 4, 2009
Contact: Joe Kildea; press@unitedagainstnucleariran.com
Phone: (212) 554-3296

United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) is pleased to announce the launch of the Iran Business Registry (IBR). The IBR is a running database of international business operations in Iran. We believe that the IBR will educate investors, policymakers, and activists about companies reported to be doing business in Iran at this key moment when Iran finds itself uniquely susceptible to financial pressure.

The IBR is a tool that will allow all Americans to come together and to send a message.   Companies that do business with Iran for short term economic gain support an Iranian regime that is on the cusp of developing a nuclear weapon in defiance of the international community. Our goal is not to gratuitously hurt any legitimate business.  Instead, the IBR will be a clearinghouse of information that activists in the United States and around the world can use in making business choices and focusing grass-roots pressure.  

UANI President, Ambassador Mark D. Wallace, said “As Iran edges closer to a nuclear weapon we must send a clear message to countries and to companies that do business with Iran -- it is time to stop.  By doing so we will lay the groundwork for a diplomatic resolution of Iran’s nuclear aspirations.”

To visit the IBR click here.

To view UANI’s advertisement in the Financial Times, click here.

To read about the IBR and the methodology behind the research, click here.

To receive information about the IBR, our daily news email Eye On Iran, and UANI, sign up here.

We will highlight different aspects of business in Iran periodically during the month of February.  This week we feature the importers of refined oil. Professor Kittrie labeled gasoline Iran’s “economic Achilles’ heel,” and while on the campaign trail then Sen. Obama said "Iran right now imports gasoline . . . if we can prevent them from importing the gasoline that they need . . . that starts changing their cost-benefit analysis. That starts putting the squeeze on them."

There are the five international providers of gasoline to Iran – Reliance, Vitol, Trafigura, Total, and British Petroleum.  Please visit the IBR to read about these 5 companies and even send them a message asking them to stop supporting the Iranian regime.

PRESIDENT OBAMA ON IRANIAN IMPORTS OF REFINED OIL

Then Sen. OBAMA: "We should work with Europe, Japan and the Gulf states to find every avenue outside the U.N. to isolate the Iranian regime -- from cutting off loan guarantees and expanding financial sanctions, to banning the export of refined petroleum to Iran." (Wall Street Journal, “How to Put the Squeeze on Iran,” Orde Kittrie, November 13, 2008)

Then Sen. OBAMA: "Iran right now imports gasoline . . . if we can prevent them from importing the gasoline that they need . . . that starts changing their cost-benefit analysis. That starts putting the squeeze on them." (Wall Street Journal, “How to Put the Squeeze on Iran,” Orde Kittrie, November 13, 2008)

PROF. KITTRIE ON IRANIAN IMPORTS OF REFINED OIL

“Tehran has an economic Achilles' heel -- its extraordinarily heavy dependence on imported gasoline.”  (Wall Street Journal, “How to Put the Squeeze on Iran,” Orde Kittrie, November 13, 2008)

“Iran has not developed sufficient capacity to refine that crude oil into gasoline and diesel fuel. As a result, it must import some 40% of the gasoline it needs for internal consumption.” (Wall Street Journal, “How to Put the Squeeze on Iran,” Orde Kittrie, November 13, 2008)

“Iran has… purchased nearly all of this gasoline from just five companies, four of them European: the Swiss firm Vitol; the Swiss/Dutch firm Trafigura; the French firm Total; British Petroleum; and one Indian company, Reliance Industries. If these companies stopped supplying Iran, the Iranians could replace only some of what they needed from other suppliers -- and at a significantly higher price. Neither Russia nor China could serve as alternative suppliers.” (Wall Street Journal, “How to Put the Squeeze on Iran,” Orde Kittrie, November 13, 2008)

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