USA

"Solar Turbines, a division of Caterpillar, requested this license because it wanted to bid on a project to build a natural mixing station needed by the Turkish government-owned pipeline company, Botas. In its application, Solar Turbines acknowledged that the mixing station in Sivas, Turkey, would serve a pipeline that carried Iranian gas through Turkey and into Western Europe.

The United States has a clear-cut policy that it does not support pipelines that deliver Iranian gas to customers outside that country’s borders, for the simple reason that Iran’s huge natural gas resources prop up its economy and help finance pursuits like its nuclear program. But in this case, the company argued, the station would primarily serve a different, United States-supported pipeline called the Shah Deniz, which pipes gas from Azerbaijan to Turkey, and thus would reduce reliance on Iranian gas. In fact, according to Botas and Turkish Embassy officials, the opposite was true. A Turkish diplomat, Tuncay Babali, said that back in 2005, when this license was issued, 'the Sivas station was primarily for Iran gas, actually.' And that is still the case today, according to Oguz Zimamoglu, the head of Botas's central gas control unit. 'Primarily the gas flowing from Sivas is Iranian gas,' he said. A Caterpillar spokesman, Jim Dugan, said the company relied on the best information it had in making its application, while OFAC said in a statement that its decision was the product of an interagency review that found that 'notwithstanding an Iranian nexus,' granting the license was in America’s foreign policy interest. In the end, another company won the right to build the station. But Elliott Abrams, who at the time served as the deputy national security adviser and should have been involved in any interagency review, said the fact that Solar Turbines was allowed to bid raises questions about the government’s vetting process. He did not recall any debate on the issue, which he called 'surprising' because 'the issues are significant.'" (New York Times, "Licenses Granted to U.S. Companies Run the Gamut," 12/24/10)

"BearingPoint, previously known as KPMG Consulting, was authorized to buy payroll software from Iran in order to complete its work developing a finance and budgeting system for Afghanistan's government. Iran and Afghanistan share a common language, and BearingPoint said software purchased elsewhere would require substantial modification." (New York Times, "Licenses Granted to U.S. Companies Run the Gamut," 12/24/10)

MCI is a subsidiary of Verizon Communications. MCI Inc. was formed as a result of the merger between WorldCom and MCI Communications.

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"This license authorized WorldCom to strike a deal by which the state-owned Telecommunications Company of Iran would pay the American telecommunications company a rental fee in return for a direct link to WorldCom's United States Internet backbone. OFAC said the application was approved because it would have provided increased and more consistent Internet access for Iranians, and it is the policy of the United States to encourage such access." (New York Times, "Licenses Granted to U.S. Companies Run the Gamut," 12/24/10)

Over the last three presidential administrations, the United States government has granted World Wide Sires 42 special licenses to do business in Iran. (New York Times, "Companies with Permission to Bypass Sanctions," 12/24/10)

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"World Wide Sires, an artificial insemination cattle embryo and semen cooperative, received multiple licenses to sell bull semen and other products in Iran and Sudan. This license authorized the company to receive payment under a letter from the Iranian Bank of Mellat and its subsidiary Persia Bank. This, even though the United States government had placed the banks on a special sanctions blacklist for facilitating the movement of millions of dollars for Iran's nuclear program. The company argued that the transaction should be allowed to proceed because the letter of credit was signed before the Oct. 25, 2007, blacklisting of the banks. OFAC said it granted the license because it authorized funds to be removed from Iran for the benefit of a United States exporter, which otherwise would not have been compensated for an authorized export to Iran, an outcome the agency said it believed was unjust." (New York Times, "Licenses Granted to U.S. Companies Run the Gamut," 12/24/10)

"This license authorized Wild Flavors, which describes itself on its Web site as one of the largest privately-held ingredient suppliers to the food and beverage industry, to export cream powder and cheese powder to Iran under a humanitarian exception for agricultural and medical products." (New York Times, "Licenses Granted to U.S. Companies Run the Gamut," 12/24/10)

"The Berliner Law firm received this license to legally represent companies affilated with Iran's Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics, which had been sanctioned by the United States government for its involvement in Iran's ballistic missile program. The licensing documents were released over the law firm's objection, with OFAC determining that the law firm lacked 'sufficient justification for competitive harm,' except for the potential for embarrassment for representing a sanctioned entity." (New York Times, "Licenses Granted to U.S. Companies Run the Gamut," 12/24/10)

"This license authorized the company to export a variety of its vitamin products to Iran. The names of the Iranian importers have been redacted by OFAC." (New York Times, "Licenses Granted to U.S. Companies Run the Gamut," 12/24/10)

Over the last three presidential administrations, the United States government has granted Sportika Export 16 special licenses to do business in Iran. (New York Times, "Companies with Permission to Bypass Sanctions," 12/24/10)

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"This license was to export food supplements for building muscles, like protein powder, to Iran. Richard White, Sportika Export's chief executive, said Iran is a very good market for companies like his. 'It appears there must be an upper class there because these items are fairly high priced by the time you import then and pay all the duty there,' he said, adding that he is comfortable selling his products in Iran 'because the government is comfortable with our doing it.'" (New York Times, "Licenses Granted to U.S. Companies Run the Gamut," 12/24/10)

"Gary G. Miller, a California Republican, wrote on June 1, 2007, on behalf of this company's application to sell medical equipment to a company in Iran called Jarf Kherad Company Limited, which would distribute the equipment to hospitals under the control of the Iranian Ministry of Health. OFAC explained to Mr. Miller on July 12, 2007, that the company had been informed that its paperwork was incomplete. The application was ultimately approved." (New York Times, "Licenses Granted to U.S. Companies Run the Gamut," 12/24/10)

"This license authorizes R.J. Reynolds Tobacco to sell its cigarettes in Iran. OFAC redacted the names of the Iranian purchasers. Iran charges an import tax of more than 7 percent on cigarettes, according to customs officials." (New York Times, "Licenses Granted to U.S. Companies Run the Gamut," 12/24/10)