UANI

Over the last three presidential administrations, the United States government has granted Philips Electronics 35 special licenses to do business in Iran. (New York Times, "Companies with Permission to Bypass Sanctions," 12/24/10)

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"Philips Electronics received a license to sell some sort of medical devices to Iran, the exact nature of which was redacted by OFAC. The division of the company mentioned in the paperwork suggested that the product sold was some sort of ultrasound equipment. OFAC also redacted the names of the Iranian buyers." (New York Times, "Licenses Granted to U.S. Companies Run the Gamut," 12/24/10)

Noted for conducting business with Iranian banks. (Avi Jorisch, "Iran's dirty banking," 2010)

EADS is a global leader in aerospace and defense. Germany, France, the Netherlands and Spain all own a stake in the company. Notable subsidiaries of EADS including the airplane manufacturer Airbus and the helicopter manufacturer Eurocopter.

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In 2005, it was also reported that EADS provided nuclear parts to Iran through sales to a South Korean company, Kyung-Do Enterprises:  “The French firm EADS Sodern was one such company involved in the illegal transactions though it was unaware of the final destination of its exports.” Iran purchased 300 units of Nickel 63 from the South Korean company: “This radioactive material is needed for firing electrons used in a nuclear bomb’s trigger mechanism.” (Iran Focus, “Iran acquiring nuclear parts from Europe,” 7/25/05)

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“Since the European Union does not impose restrictions on sales of civil products to Iran, Eurocopter and AgustaWestland market their products in the country, but the US sanctions restrict the Europeans’ offerings to just a few models.” (Globalsecurity.org, “Iran Aviation Industry”)

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 In April 2005, Aviation International News reported that “Eurocopter is well represented in Iran. Last year it won the state tender to supply three AS 365N3 Dauphins outfitted for search-and-rescue and maritime surveillance. Those helicopters, scheduled to be delivered next year, will be the first Dauphins in the nation… Eurocopter estimates Iran’s total demand for civil helicopters to be 100 to 150 units during the next two or three years… Eurocopter predicts that the Dauphin will be the best-selling helicopter in the nation in the years ahead.”

“Last year Iran’s Ministry of Industry and Mines took delivery of an AS 350B3 to use for geological survey. The manufacturer also delivered six AS 350B3s to the Ministry of Oil for Helicopter Services Organization, which is using the new models to supplement its two AS 350B2s, the first French-made helicopters delivered to Iran after the Islamic Revolution under 2000 and 2002 deals.”

“Eurocopter also provides support for the Alouette IIIs and BO 105s operators acquired before the revolution that remain operational with civilian organizations. A total of 30 of these aging types remain airworthy and operate mostly with Helicopter Services Organization.” (Aviation International News, “Helo makers find market in Iran,” April 2005)

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In February 2005, EADS and its subsidiary Eurocopter, marketed their products at that year’s Iran Air Show. When questioned about the American sanctions on Iran, an EADS representative stated, “ As a European company, we're not supposed to take into account embargoes from the U.S.” He added, “The emphasis here is on our civil helicopters. We are not offering military helicopters here.” Nonetheless, a military helicopter was “prominent on the company's video in Iran.” (MSNBC, “European Firms Display Wares in Iran,” 2/23/05)

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See Video: Corresponding NBC Nightly News Investigative Report on European defense firms doing business in Iran. (NBC Nightly News, “European Defense Firms Eager to Sell to Iran”)

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Eurocopter was also an exhibitor at the 2007 Iranian Air Show. (2008 Iran Kish Air Show, “Exhibitors”)

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ATR is an Italian-French aircraft manufacturer and a joint venture of EADS and Finmeccanica, which each own a 50% stake of the company. The EADS website lists in 2002 that ATR sold one ATR 72-500 aircraft to Iran Aseman Airlines (EADS Website, “ATR results in line with 2002 objectives,” 1/22/03). The ATR 72 model is a short-haul regional airliner. Other ATR aircraft are active in Aseman’s Airlines fleet (Aseman Airlines website, “About Us”)

“LyondellBasell Industries NV, one of the world's biggest plastic and chemical producers, will end its business operations in Iran to shield itself against penalties the U.S. could soon impose on companies for violating trade sanctions.” (The Wall Street Journal, “LyondellBasell Will Quit Iran,” 8/5/10)

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Firm/country: LyondelBasell/The Netherlands;

Firm activity: Supplying technology for new HDPE petrochemical plant in Kermanshah, increasing capacity by 300,000 metric tons per year;

Status: Expected completion 2009 to 2010;

Commercial activity: Not reported;

Firm comment: Confirmed activities. Noted that profits from the two projects are small compared to its European operations.

(GAO report 2010 - "Firms Reported in Open Sources as Having Commercial Activity in Iran’s Oil, Gas, and Petrochemical Sectors")

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"Lyondell Basell Company had previously participated in Amirkabir and Jam petrochemical complexes’ development plans. National Petrochemical Company’s Project Manager Jalil Ebrahimpour said for his part that the abovementioned petrochemical complexes are parts of the Dena ethylene pipeline, each with the annual projected HDPE output of 300,000." (Tehran Times, "World praises Iran’s petrochemical achievements: LyondellBasell exec," 6/10/2009) 

ABN AMRO is currently owned by the Royal Bank of Scotland Group.

• "ABN AMRO Bank, now owned by Royal Bank of Scotland Group, agreed in 2006 pay $70 million in penalties assessed by U.S. regulators related to alleged dealings with entities from Iran and Libya." (Daily Mail, "Obama to target Lloyd's of London in plan for tougher sanctions on Iran," 10/2/09)

• "A new line of investigation has focused on banking relationships. In December, ABN Amro paid $80m in penalties after it was found to have violated rules on dealing with Iran and Libya, while UBS paid $100m in 2004 after admitting breaches of rules on transactions with Iran, Libya, Cuba and Serbia.

  Both ABN Amro and UBS have reduced their Iran operations, as has Credit Suisse. But it has emerged that the Justice Department is probing three more banks - HSBC, Standard Chartered and France's BNP Paribas." (The Independent, “UK banks caught in Iran sanctions probe,” 2/5/09)

Daily flights from Tehran's Imam Khomeini Airport(IKA) to multiple counties in Europe (Company Website)

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"The company operates regular flights to and from Iran. The airline has flown the route on and off since 1948, a spokeswoman said. The company received loan guarantees from the U.S. Export-Import Bank to purchase airplanes from Boeing."  From 2000-2009, the company was the recipient of $1.4 billion US federal funds.  Their business in Iran is currently active.  (The New York Times, "Profiting from Iran, and the US," 3/6/2010)

"Unilever, which manufactures products like Dove soap, has been in the Iranian market since at least 2003, operating factories there and maintaining an office in Tehran, according to news reports and the company's Web site. It also sells its products to the American military."

From 2000-2009, the company was the recipient of $842.1 million US federal funds.  Their business in Iran is currently active.  (The New York Times, "Profiting from Iran, and the US," 3/6/2010)

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Several renowned German companies are involved in major Iranian infrastructure projects, especially in the petrochemical sector, like Linde, BASF, Lurgi, Krupp, Siemens, ZF Friedrichshafen, Mercedes, Volkswagen and MAN. (Thai Press Reports, IRAN/GERMANY IRANIAN-GERMAN TRADE UP 78%, December 8, 2008)

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Unilevers Turkish holdings, valued at YTL 100 million, are indicators of its faith in the Turkish economy, said local company spokesman Ebru Senel Erim. The Istanbul offices vast market ranges from Iran, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Armenia, Georgia, Tajikistan and Azerbaijan in the East to Macedonia, Albania, Moldova, Romania, Kosovo and Bosnia in the West. (Turkish Daily News, ISTANBUL BECOMES MANAGEMENT HUB, December 17, 2007)

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Listed by U.S. Government as doing business in Iran. (U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, List of Companies Doing Business With State Sponsors Of Terror, Removed from the internet in July of 2007)

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GIANTS WITH A FOOT IN TEHRAN: Total, Shell, Statoil, BNP Paribas, Commerzbank, MTN, UPS, Linde, Technip, Nokia, Ericsson, Peugeot, Renault, OMV, Societe Generale, ENI, Mitsubishi, Sumitomo, Siemens, LG, Samsung, Bosch, Valeo, Nestle, Unilever, BAT, Japan Tobacco. (The London Times, American pressure threatens UK firms, Christine Seib, May 27, 2006)

"International trading house Vitol will resume Caspian oil swaps with Iran after a year-long suspension of operations, industry and trade sources said on Thursday. 'Vitol is resuming Iranian swaps. I think there there's really good money in it,' a Mediterranean trader told Reuters. Vitol has already signed a swap agreement with National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) but the swap operations, under which Vitol supplies Iran with Caspian oil in exchange for Iranian crude volumes for loading on the Persian Gulf, will most likely start up again toward the end of the year, another source close to the deal said."(Reuters, "Vitol to resume Caspian oil swaps with Iran," 6/23/2011)

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"Open sources reported that Vitol sold gasoline to Iran in 2009 and 2010, but subsequently stopped in 2010." (U.S. Government Accountability Office, Report: "Firms Reported in Open Sources to Have Sold Iran Refined Petroleum Products between January 1, 2009 and June," September 3, 2010)

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"Due to limited refining capabilities, Iran imports approximately 40% of its domestic gasoline consumption. Iran is the second-largest importer of gasoline in the world. That gasoline is supplied primarily by five companies: the Swiss-Dutch energy trading giants Vitol and Trafigura, the Indian multinational Reliance Industries, the Swiss trader Glencore and the French energy firm Total." (The Wall Street Journal, "Hitting Tehran Where It Hurts," 7/13/09)

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"Because of a lack of domestic refining capacity, oil-rich Iran is dependent on gasoline imports to meet about 40 percent of domestic consumption. Iran gets most of its gasoline imports from the Swiss firm Vitol, the Swiss/Dutch firm Trafigura, France's Total, the Swiss firm Glencore and British Petroleum, as well as the Indian firm Reliance." (Khaleej Times, "US house approves Iran energy sector sanctions," 12/16/09)

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"State Sen. Ted Deutch has a vision where Florida puts a stop to Iran's nuclear ambitions. His weapon: public opinion. His ammunition: a $125-million fuel depot being built in Port Canaveral by one of the worlds largest oil traders. Deutch has asked Gov. Charlie Crist to broker a meeting with executives from Vitol, the Swiss company that supplies one quarter of Irans fuel and is building the largest private investment in Port Canaverals history. Deutch hopes to leverage public opinion to persuade Vitol to stop selling gasoline to Iran. (St. Petersburg Times, "Business with Iran May Mean None in Florida," 12/07/08)

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"In recent months, Iran has, according to the respected trade publication International Oil Daily and other sources including the U.S. government, 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." (The Wall Street Journal, "How To Put The Squeeze On Iran," 11/13/08)

"Royal Dutch Shell and some Italian and Spanish refiners buy Iranian barrels with finance coming from Chinese and Italian banks, traders have said." (Reuters, "Credit hurdles remain hindrance to Iran oil trade," 11/18/10)

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"Total SA (TOT) and Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSB.LN) discreetly contacted Iranian authorities last week, seeking to reassure the Islamic Republic after telling the U.S. they have no plans for further investments for now, people familiar with the matter said in recent days. Total and Shell contacted Iran as the U.S. announced commitments by the companies "to terminate their investments and avoid any new activity in Iran's energy sector." The disclosure was made by the State Department in a Sept. 30 press release, which also said Statoil ASA (STO) and Eni SpA (E) had made similar commitments. Though the two companies are not breaching any sanctions in communicating with Iran, the contacts suggest they have not renounced their long-term ambitions in Iran, which hosts the world's second-largest natural gas resources and stands as the fourth-largest global oil exporter....Total and Shell still do some direct business with Iran, regularly buying crude oil from the Middle Eastern country. But the Anglo-Dutch oil company has come under pressure for the trades, which are not prohibited under European sanctions." (Wall Street Journal, "Total, Shell Keep Line Open With Tehran Despite US Claim," 10/8/2010)

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"Open sources reported that Royal Dutch Shell sold gasoline to Iran in 2009, but subsequently stopped in 2009." (U.S. Government Accountability Office, Report: "Firms Reported in Open Sources to Have Sold Iran Refined Petroleum Products between January 1, 2009 and June," September 3, 2010)

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On September 30th, Shell made a "pledge to stop investing in Iran's energy sector" as a result of pressure from American sanctions (AP, "US hits Iranian energy firm with sanctions," 9/30/2010). 

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"Shell, the Anglo-Dutch oil giant, paid the state-owned Iranian oil company at least $1.5bn (£0.94bn) for crude oil this summer, increasing its business with Tehran as the international community implemented some of the toughest sanctions yet aimed at constricting the Islamic republic's economy and its lifeline oil business." (The Guardian, "Shell increases oil trade with Iran -- despite sanctions," 9/27/2010)

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"Royal Dutch Shell resumed its gasoline shipments to Iran, International Oil Daily reported this morning.  The company got back into business with the Iranian regime after a six-month hiatus. The move is a slap at the U.S. Congress, which has been working to develop energy sanctions that could curtail the regime’s nuclear weapons program, human rights abuses, and support for terrorism.

Shell delivered three 30,000-ton shipments of gasoline last month to Iran’s Bandar Abbas port. The company’s last known shipment to Iran was recorded in October 2009.

Shell now appears to be exploiting Congress’ delay [in imposing sanctions], and is perhaps betting that the United Nations, the Europeans, or indeed the Obama administration will never pull the trigger on meaningful sanctions.

The Dutch firm’s calculus appears to be based purely on profits. Shell is trying to squeeze as many petrodollars it can from the Iranian regime before sanctions take hold. According to The New York Times, the company is still profiting from a 1999 deal signed to develop two oil fields in Iran that became fully operational in 2005.

Shell should come under intense scrutiny by the Obama administration and Congress once sanctions are passed.  In 2009 alone, Shell received $2.4 billion in contracts from the Federal government."

(Forbes.com, "Inside Shell's Iran Game," 6/3/2010).

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"An oil tanker named Front Page, chartered by Royal Dutch Shell PLC, left this port on March 17 and reported it was going to another U.A.E. port, then on to Saudi Arabia, ship-tracking data show.

But the tracking information reveals that Front Page also made an unreported stop—to the coast of Iran. There it loaded Iranian oil, according to records obtained by oil traders and shipping sources.

The incident, some oil-industry experts say, is an example of how some companies these days are hiding their business dealings with Iran, even when they are perfectly legal because they aren't subject to any sanctions...

Still, given all the controversy over Iran's nuclear program, many companies decline to discuss their Iranian oil purchases. Companies like Shell and BP have said they have stopped selling gasoline to Iran.

But they rarely mention that they continue to buy crude or other Iranian oil products, which generally is a much larger and more lucrative business than gasoline deliveries." (The Wall Street Journal. "Oil Trade with Iran Thrives, Discreetly," 5/20/10)

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"Royal Dutch Shell signed an $800 million deal in 1999 to develop two huge oil fields expected to produce 190,000 barrels a day, and while that project was completed in 2005, it continues to receive payments as a result of its work. Shell has a second Iranian natural gas development projects in the works, but officials said they are awaiting the results of a feasability study before determining whether they will go forward with it. In the meantime, the company continues to supply oil lubricant to Iran, and until recently, had been a large supplier of gasoline to Iran. Shell is also a huge supplier of gasoline to the American military, won drilling rights in the Gulf of Mexico and in the Western United States, and shares with a company in China a $200,000 Export-Import Bank loan to build a petrochemical plant in that country. A Shell spokesman, David R. Williams, said that while the company would comply with any new international sanctions, Shell's activities are not prohibited by European countries, adding that when the rules of different countries conflict "it makes compliance difficult."  From 2000-2009, the company was the recipient of $11.2 billion US federal funds.  Their investments in Iran are currently active.  They have been listed as a potential violator of the Iran Sanctions Act.  (The New York Times, "Profiting from Iran, and the US," 3/6/2010)

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“Royal Dutch Shell PLC said Wednesday it is no longer selling gasoline to Iran, the latest oil company to make such a move during threats of tougher sanctions against the Islamic republic.

‘Shell is not currently selling gasoline to Iran,’ a company spokesman said. He declined to comment on whether it was related to sanctions against Iran.

Shell's move comes as a number of Western oil companies have decided to stop trading with Iran as international pressure bites deeper into its oil and gas industry. Traders Vitol Holding BV and Glencore International AG, historically key fuel-oil suppliers to Iran, recently decided to halt sales of gasoline to the country.” (The Wall Street Journal, “Shell Stops Gas Sales to Iran,” 3/10/10)

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“Royal Dutch Shell signed an $800 million deal in 1999 to develop two huge oil fields expected to produce 190,000 barrels a day, and while that project was completed in 2005, it continues to receive payments as a result of its work. Shell has a second Iranian natural gas development projects in the works, but officials said they are awaiting the results of a feasability study before determining whether they will go forward with it. In the meantime, the company continues to supply oil lubricant to Iran, and until recently, had been a large supplier of gasoline to Iran. Shell is also a huge supplier of gasoline to the American military, won drilling rights in the Gulf of Mexico and in the Western United States, and shares with a company in China a $200,000 Export-Import Bank loan to build a petrochemical plant in that country. A Shell spokesman, David R. Williams, said that while the company would comply with any new international sanctions, Shell's activities are not prohibited by European countries, adding that when the rules of different countries conflict ‘it makes compliance difficult.’”

From 2000 through March 2010, Royal Dutch Shell has been the recipient of $11.2 billion in U.S. federal funds, despite being a “possible violator of the Iran Sanctions Act.” (The New York Times, "Profiting from Iran, and the U.S.", 3/6/10)

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"New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli also announced Tuesday the $110 billion fund would freeze an additional $300 million in seven other companies...The decision comes after two years of reviewing these companies, the potential risk of the investments and, in some cases, humanitarian efforts in these countries. 'We don't expect our investments to benefit regimes that support genocide and terrorism,' said DiNapoli...The fund also plans to monitor and prohibit further investment in ENI (E), Repsol YPF (REP), Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSA), Total SA (TOT), ABB Ltd. (ABB), Alstom (ALO.FR) and Snam Rete Gas (SNMRY). Additionally, it plans to focus on other industries including telecommunications." (Dow Jones Newswires, "NY Comptroller To Divest $86.2M In State Pension Fund Investments," 6/30/09)

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"Another step the Obama administration should take is to sustain American pressure on foreign banks and oil companies to halt their dealings with Iran's energy sector. This effort has led such major firms as Germanys Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank, Englands HSBC, Credit Suisse and Royal Dutch Shell to halt or limit their business with Iran." (The Baltimore Sun, "Facing the Iranian Threat," 12/9/08)

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"U.S. outreach to foreign banks and to oil companies considering investing in Iran's energy sector has reportedly convinced more than 80 banks and several major potential oil-field investors to cease all or some of their business with Iran. Among them: Germanys two largest banks (Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank), London-based HSBC, Credit Suisse, Norwegian energy company StatoilHydro, and Royal Dutch Shell." (The Wall Street Journal, "How To Put The Squeeze On Iran," 11/13/08)

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"William Burns, U.S. Under Secretary of State for political affairs, pointed out that several big energy companies, including Total, Shell, ENI and Repsol, have scaled back their business in Iran over the past few years." (Reuters, "US to review if Statoil violates Iran sanctions law," 7/9/08)

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"Total, Shell and Repsol of Spain are hanging back from signing contracts, which the Iranians are desperate for them to sign, said Simon Henderson, an oil expert at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy." (Associated Press, "Iran looks to tap key oil field with homegrown crews," 5/11/08)

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"In January [2007], Shell and Spains Repsol signed a preliminary deal with Teheran jointly to develop two phases of South Pars. At the time, Shell said it might be a year away from knowing whether to proceed, a timescale that Shell chief executive Jeroen van de Veer repeated six months later." (The Daily Telegraph, "Shell delays decision on Iran project again," 12/29/07)

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"The Teacher Retirement System of Texas investment portfolio includes 19 companies that do business with Iran. The most familiar company names: Royal Dutch Shell, Mitsubishi Heavy Industry and Samsung Engineering." (San Antonio Express-News, "TRS, ERS miss 30-day deadline to formulate Iran-divestment plan," 11/18/07)

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Listed by U.S. Government as doing business in Iran. (U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, “List of Companies Doing Business With State Sponsors Of Terror,” Removed from the Internet in July 2007)

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"While U.S. companies have long been barred from operating in Iran, more than 200 multinationals have investments there, from British-Dutch oil giant Royal Dutch Shell PLC and French telecommunications-equipment company Alcatel SA to Swedens electronics company Telefon AB L.M. Ericsson." (The Wall Street Journal, "Should states sell stocks to protest links to Iran," 6/14/07)

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"GIANTS WITH A FOOT IN TEHRAN: Total, Shell, Statoil, BNP Paribas, Commerzbank, MTN, UPS, Linde, Technip, Nokia, Ericsson, Peugeot, Renault, OMV, Societe Generale, ENI, Mitsubishi, Sumitomo, Siemens, LG, Samsung, Bosch, Valeo, Nestle, Unilever, BAT, Japan Tobacco." (The London Times, "American pressure threatens UK firms," 5/27/06)

"The world's largest oil-services company has quietly promised the US State Department that it will pull out of Iran when its current contracts are complete, a spokesman for Schlumberger Ltd. has confirmed, marking what could be a major victory in the US struggle to cut off Iran's access to funds for its nuclear program. 'If it is true, it's huge,' said Richard Modesette, a former Commerce Department special agent. But internal company documents obtained by The Boston Globe show that Schlumberger - which is under investigation for possible sanctions violations - has signed contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars that it intends to complete before it exits. Those contracts will keep the company, believed to be the last Western oil-services firm in Iran, working in the oil-rich country until least 2013, a delay that has angered some US officials....But if Iran agrees to curb its nuclear program, sanctions could ease by the time Schlumberger’s last contract expires....In that case, the firm could just keep on doing business." (Boston Globe, "Oil firm says it will withdraw from Iran," 11/12/10)

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"The oil exploration giant has long been active in Iran and continues to provide drilling and exploration services to Iran's oil and gas sector, according to filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. "We work in more than 80 countries around the world, including Iran, and we abide by the rules in those countries," said a company spokesman, Stephen Whittaker, adding: "We don't take a position on what the country does or doesn't do. It is what it is."" 

From 2000-2009, the company was a recipient of $30.7 million US federal funds.  Their investments in Iran are currently active, however there are no plans for new investments.  (The New York Times, "Profiting from Iran, and the US." 3/6/2010)

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Schulmberger lists a regional "Iran GeoMarket" headquarters office in Tehran (Company website, 7/13/09)

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"But the device - developed by the oil-services firm Schlumberger in labs in Connecticut and Texas - was brought to Iran through a legal loophole that allows multinational corporations to use foreign subsidiaries to sidestep US sanctions, according to a Globe investigation. Schlumberger acknowledges that its US-developed tool has been used in Iran, and a spokesman said the company followed all applicable laws and regulations." (The Boston Globe, "Oil firm sidesteps sanctions on Iran," 12/7/08)

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"In the early 1940 s, Texaco paid for its own dealings with hostile regimes such as Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. And there are similarities with Schlumbergers business in Sudan, Iran and Venezuela, Rewcastle says. Schlumberger is the only major E&P company left in Iran and Sudan, he says. But its operations are well-diversified throughout the world. Its business sprawls over regions where drilling demand is surging, Gengaro says." (Investors Business Daily, "Schlumberger Makes Itself The Go-To Oil Services Firm," 8/1/07)

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Listed by U.S. Government as doing business in Iran. (U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, List of Companies Doing Business With State Sponsors Of Terror, Removed from the internet in July of 2007)