ICYMI: UANI CEO Warns Businesses of Iran's IRGC-Dominated Telecom Sector in Financial Times

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 3, 2016
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ICYMI: UANI CEO Warns Businesses of Iran's IRGC-Dominated Telecom Sector in Financial Times

New York, NY - United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) CEO Ambassador Mark D. Wallace was featured in a November 1 Financial Times article entitled "Iran opens for telecoms connections."  In the piece, Amb. Wallace reminded major companies contemplating investments in Iran of the regime's misuse of communications technology, saying "[p]artnering with telecoms companies in Iran is partnering with a regime that monitors, tracks, arrests, detains, and even kills people that use this technology."

For years, UANI has led an international Tech & Telecom Campaign highlighting the misuse of telecommunications technology and equipment by the Iranian regime and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to restrict and monitor internet and cellphone communication.  The IRGC dominates the telecommunications sector in Iran--the Telecommunication Company of Iran (TCI), the country's only national fixed-line operator, is owned by Etemad-e Mobin, a consortium connected to the IRGC. TCI's subsidiary, the Mobile Telecommunication Company of Iran, leads the mobile market. The second leading mobile service, MTN Irancell, is 51% owned by Iran Electronics Industries (IEI) and the Mostazafan Foundation of Islamic Revolution.  Both IEI and Mostazafan are closely linked to the IRGC.  IEI is an entity sanction-designated by the U.S. for nuclear proliferation and human rights abuses.

International firms that UANI has engaged with include Huawei, Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN), Creativity Software, Ericsson, MTN, Alcatel-Lucent, and Orange.  In certain cases, they have worked with IRGC-affiliated entities and provided technologies to Iran, which can, for example:

• Monitor and block internet and cellphone communications
• Filter, block, and store text messages
• Track locations of mobile phone users

Led by a group of former leading diplomats and lawmakers, UANI is in the midst of a global education campaign focused on the corporate risks of doing business with Iran, warning hundreds of international companies that are contemplating Iran as a new investment opportunity.  As part of its campaign to highlight the dangers of business with the Iranian regime, UANI has identified a matrix of 10 key risk categories businesses and sovereign states face should they pursue deals with Tehran.

For more information, or to speak with UANI leadership, please contact: [email protected]

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