Investment

“Today the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced actions targeting a diverse set of entities and individuals located around the world for evading U.S. sanctions against Iran, aiding Iranian nuclear and missile proliferation, and supporting terrorism.  These actions reflect the United States’ sustained commitment to continue enforcing our existing sanctions as the P5+1 and Iran work toward a comprehensive solution to address the international community’s concerns over Iran’s nuclear program. ’The global targets designated today play key roles in supporting Iran’s nuclear program and active support for terrorism.  The United States has made clear that as it implements the Joint Plan of Action, contingent on Iran satisfying its own commitments, the overwhelming majority of sanctions remain in effect and will continue to be vigorously enforced,’ said Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David S. Cohen. Today’s actions target entities and individuals located across the world, operating in Turkey, Spain, Germany, Georgia, Afghanistan, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, and Liechtenstein…Pursuant to E.O. 13608, which targets foreign persons engaged in activities intended to evade U.S. economic and financial sanctions with respect to Iran and Syria, the Department of the Treasury sanctioned Georgia-based Pourya Nayebi, Houshang Hosseinpour, and Houshang Farsoudeh and eight companies owned or controlled by these individuals…Treasury is also imposing sanctions on eight companies located in multiple countries that are owned and/or controlled by Nayebi, Hosseinpour, and Farsoudeh (acting individually or together), including: Caucasus Energy (Georgia), Orchidea Gulf Trading (UAE and/or Turkey), Georgian Business Development (Georgia and/or UAE), Great Business Deals (Georgia and/or UAE), KSN Foundation (Liechtenstein), New York General Trading (UAE), New York Money Exchange (UAE and/or Georgia), and European Oil Traders (Switzerland)…On multiple occasions, these front companies deceived the international financial community, including by generating false invoices in connection with transactions involving designated Iranian banks.“ (U.S. Department of Treasury, “Treasury Targets Networks Linked To Iran,” 2/6/14)

On its Company Website, New York General Trading says “We have worked with big companies like Mitsubishi, Daewoo, Toyota, Hyundai & Mazda.

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“Today the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced actions targeting a diverse set of entities and individuals located around the world for evading U.S. sanctions against Iran, aiding Iranian nuclear and missile proliferation, and supporting terrorism.  These actions reflect the United States’ sustained commitment to continue enforcing our existing sanctions as the P5+1 and Iran work toward a comprehensive solution to address the international community’s concerns over Iran’s nuclear program. ’The global targets designated today play key roles in supporting Iran’s nuclear program and active support for terrorism.  The United States has made clear that as it implements the Joint Plan of Action, contingent on Iran satisfying its own commitments, the overwhelming majority of sanctions remain in effect and will continue to be vigorously enforced,’ said Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David S. Cohen. Today’s actions target entities and individuals located across the world, operating in Turkey, Spain, Germany, Georgia, Afghanistan, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, and Liechtenstein…Pursuant to E.O. 13608, which targets foreign persons engaged in activities intended to evade U.S. economic and financial sanctions with respect to Iran and Syria, the Department of the Treasury sanctioned Georgia-based Pourya Nayebi, Houshang Hosseinpour, and Houshang Farsoudeh and eight companies owned or controlled by these individuals…Treasury is also imposing sanctions on eight companies located in multiple countries that are owned and/or controlled by Nayebi, Hosseinpour, and Farsoudeh (acting individually or together), including: Caucasus Energy (Georgia), Orchidea Gulf Trading (UAE and/or Turkey), Georgian Business Development (Georgia and/or UAE), Great Business Deals (Georgia and/or UAE), KSN Foundation (Liechtenstein), New York General Trading (UAE), New York Money Exchange (UAE and/or Georgia), and European Oil Traders (Switzerland)…On multiple occasions, these front companies deceived the international financial community, including by generating false invoices in connection with transactions involving designated Iranian banks.“ (U.S. Department of Treasury, “Treasury Targets Networks Linked To Iran,” 2/6/14)

"According to the now deleted website of Dubai-based Arcology Investments, which listed Paymood and Niksima as its subsidiaries, Paymood has two LNG tankers that serve the Jam Petrochemicals complex. Jam has become a major target of U.S. sanctions, and was also named with Niksima in the sanctions handed down in May. The idea is that Iran may be instructing customers who buy products from Jam to pay companies like Niksima instead – companies that aren’t subject to sanctions or U.S. scrutiny but who provide other valuable services to Jam through a parent company such as Arcology and its other subsidiaries like Paymood. Niksima, in other words, may get money from Jam’s customers in exchange for the services Paymood provides to Jam. This is how a frozen yogurt company could in theory get tied up with Iran’s energy industry."  (The Wall Street Journal, "Dubai Frozen Yoghurt Firm Feels Iran Sanction Chill," 7/15/2013) 

In November 2017, Iran discussed bilateral cooperation in the field of air industries with Antonov company CEO. Iran and Antonov company have been cooperating in the production and operation of aircrafts for two decades.

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"The Persian Gulf country will buy two Ukrainian-made Antonov-158s, after a test flight of the aircraft earlier this month, Mohammad-Ali Sirati, managing director of the Iranian aircraft company, was cited as saying by the official Islamic Republic News Agency. The countries then will start to jointly build the aircraft next year, Sirati, whose company will be in charge of the project, said in Tehran yesterday. Some 30 percent of each plane will be made in Iran, state-run media reported." (Business Week, "Iran Says Antonov-158 Built With Ukraine May Fly in 2013," 10/6/2011)

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Antonov lists on its website that their AN-24 turboprop aircraft is serially produced at HESA plant in Isfahan, Iran. (Antonov website)

"American Life received a license to process funds from EB-5 Iranian visa applicants. The EB-5 visa program authorizes the United States to grant up to 10,000 immigrant visas per year establishing permanent residence in the country to foreign citizens who make an investment of $500,000 or more in a new business in the United States that creates at least 10 full-time jobs for American workers. 'American Life believes that the receipt and investment of funds in the U.S. does serve the sanctions policy goal of depriving Iran and the Iranian banks of economic resources and reducing the amount of funds at their disposal,' the company wrote." (New York Times, "Licenses Granted to U.S. Companies Run the Gamut," 12/24/10)

"Luxembourg-based software company Skype, which is in registration for an initial public offering, has answered a subpoena from the Treasury Department seeking information about transactions involving Iran.

Silver Lake Partners, the tech-centric private equity firm that bought the majority share in Skype in 2009, was served an administrative subpoena in July, Skype said in a Nov. 2 filing with the Securities and Exchange commission. The little-noticed subpoena was first disclosed by the company in its August registration statement.

The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, which enforces U.S. sanctions, requested information on transactions since 2005, including those related to call termination fees to an unnamed Iranian telecommunications provider, the company said." (Wall Street Journal, "Skype Answers Subpoena On Sanctions Investigation," 11/3/2010)

"Iran, a veteran of such schemes, appears in the documents to be increasingly adept at using front companies, which pose as schools or private laboratories conducting business through seemingly legitimate Web sites, the Justice Department records show. If discovered -- as happened with the Dubai-based Mayrow General Trading in 2006 -- the businesses frequently reopen under different names in other locations." (Washington Post, "Iran Using Fronts to Get Bomb Parts From U.S.," 1/11/09)