USA

"Iran says it has started talks with major American and Italian companies to form partnerships with some of its oldest brands of household devices in what appears to be a policy to prevent their demise. The announcement was made by Abbas Hashemi, the director general for household devices affairs of the Ministry of Industry, Mine, and Trade. Hashemi was quoted by the domestic media as saying that the companies with which talks to were underway on the same front were multinational conglomerate corporation General Electric (GE), the American multinational manufacturer and marketer of home appliances Whirlpool Corporation, and the Italian Ariston Thermo Group." (Press TV, "US, Italian Firms to Save Iran's Troubled Brands," 1/8/2017). 

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"Iran is in talks with two American home appliances manufacturers General Electric (GE) and Whirlpool for joint venture, according to Abbas Hashemi, director general of home appliances and metal industries department of Iran's Ministry of Mine, Industry, and Trade. Addressing a press conference, Hashemi said Iran is seeking joint venture and cobranding deals with foreign companies where a minimum 30 percent of the products are exported to regional markets, Trend correspondent reported from the event January 3. In particular he said that the ministry is looking forward to have one or two brands produce split cooler units in Iran." (Trend News Agency, "Iran Seeking JV with American Giants GE, Whirlpool," 1/5/2017).

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In its 2010 Correspondence with the SEC, Whirlpool Corporation reports that its company sells products to its customers in Iran:

 “Total indirect and direct sales of products by the Company’s foreign subsidiaries into Iran, Sudan and Syria in the fiscal year ending December 31, 2009 totaled approximately $3.5 million…

During the past three years, the Company’s appliance subsidiary in India sold quantities of refrigerators to independent distributors in Dubai who then resold the products to their own customers in Iran and Sudan. During the past three years, the Company’s compressor subsidiaries located in Brazil, Italy and Slovakia sold refrigerator compressors and components thereof to private entities in Iran, and to a reseller located in Lebanon who resold them to its own customers including those in Syria.” (SEC, 2010 Correspondence, 5/13/10)  

A CommScope representative attended the International Conference on Robotics and Mechatronics (“ICROM”), which will took place at Sharif University of Technology in Tehran, Iran on November 20-21, 2019

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According to its website, Iranian company Fatehin Sanat supplies various products made by Commscope.

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In a 2010 Correspondence with the SEC, CommScope, Inc. reports that its company indirectly sells its products to customers in Iran:

“With regard to the number or quantity of Company products that have been sold or distributed by the OEM into Iran, Sudan, Cuba, or Syria (hereinafter the “Sanctioned Countries”), the Company does not have or typically obtain data from customers that would allow it to provide such information. The Company only became aware of reexports by the OEM to the referenced countries when a foreign subsidiary acquired OEM shipment information for a portion of 2008 in connection with a logistics issue. This information, which has not been verified by the Company, suggested that, collectively, about 5 percent of the OEM’s reexports of Company products (the vast majority of which were not U.S. origin) were to the Sanctioned Countries.

 Because, with the exception of isolated sales in support of United Nations operations in Sudan, the Company does not make sales to customers when it knows that Company product is intended specifically for end use in Iran, Sudan, Cuba, or Syria, the Company lacks sufficient information to accurately state the actual revenue that may be attributable to sales of Company products in the these countries by its international customers.” (SEC, 2010 Correspondence, 6/14/2010)

The Procaccianti Group (TPG) is the "owner and operator of Hilton Manhattan East." (Hilton Hotels, “Hilton Hotels Takes Another Bite Out Of The Big Apple With New Hotel In Midtown Manhattan”).

UANI has learned that the Hilton Manhattan East will host Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's for his stay during the 2010 UN General Assembly.

TPG Hospitality division "is a full accredited operator of InterContinental, Hyatt, Marriott, Westin, Hilton, Embassy Suites, DoubleTree, Crowne Plaza, Sheraton, Radisson and Holiday Inn." (TPG Website)

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"A security group is threatening to boycott the Hilton hotel chain for planning to host Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad<><> during next month's UN General Assembly meeting, The Post has learned. United Against Nuclear Iran said the Hilton Manhattan East should not be accepting 'blood money' from Ahmadinejad and the Iranian delegation.

 'The Hilton's short-term profit from hosting the Iranian delegation is far outweighed by the grave implications of supporting a terrorist state that is illegally developing nuclear weapons,' UANI President Mark Wallace said in letters to Hilton CEO Christopher Nassetta and Manhattan East GM Louis Lach" (New York Post, "A'jad Hotel Boycott," 8/4/10).

According to Blackstone’s website, “Blackstone solicitors provide a wide range of expert legal services specifically to both Iranians living in the U.K. and Iran and to British citizens with Iranian backgrounds.”

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In March 2017 Blackstone launches new Iran desk.

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Blackstone Group LP is one of the world's largest financial service companies, specializing in private equity. It owns Hilton Worldwide (Company Website).

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Hilton is a leading global hospitality with more than 3500 hotels in 81 countries and 130,000 employees. Hilton Worldwide encompasses 10 brands, including Hilton, Conrad, Doubletree, Embassy Suites, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Inn & Suites, Homewood Suites, Home2 Suites, and Hilton Grand Vacations (Company Website).

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UANI has learned that the Hilton Manhattan East will host Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's for his stay during the 2010 UN General Assembly.

On July 11-12, the Hilton Beirut Metropolitan Palace Hotel hosted the Re-Build Syria Exhibition. Among the various keynote speakers was Hussein al-Hajj Hassan, a senior member of the Iranian-sponsored Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah.

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According to its Annual Report filed with the SEC for fiscal year 2018: "During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018, as disclosed in Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc.’s ("Hilton") Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2018, filed on July 25, 2018, Iranian government officials purchased a number of room nights at the Hilton Colombo, Sri Lanka, which is managed by an affiliate of Hilton. The hotel received approximately $6,600 for these stays and net profit to Hilton was approximately $400. Hilton believes that the hotel stays were exempt from the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations, 31 C.F.R. Part 560, pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act ("IEEPA"). The Hilton Colombo may engage in future similar transactions to the extent they remain permissible under IEEPA."

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"Hilton Worldwide Holdings, Inc. (a U.S. company), also noted the SEC’s broad interpretation of the term “affiliate,” stating that it may be deemed to be a controlled affiliate of the Blackstone Group. Because affiliates of the Blackstone Group may be deemed to be Hilton’s affiliates, Hilton Worldwide reported last year the Iran-related activity of Blackstone affiliate Travelport Worldwide Ltd. This is in addition to Hilton disclosing its own reportable activity under Section 219, which included the stay at a Hilton property by an Iranian governmental delegation." (2017)

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According to its Annual Report filed with the SEC for fiscal year 2015: "During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, an Iranian governmental delegation stayed at the Transcorp Hilton Abuja for one night. The stays were booked and paid for by the government of Nigeria. The hotel received revenues of approximately $5,320 from these dealings. Net profit to Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (“Hilton”) from these dealings was approximately $495. Hilton believes that the hotel stays were exempt from the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations, 31 C.F.R. Part 560, pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (“IEEPA”) and under 31 C.F.R. Section 560.210(d). The Transcorp Hilton Abuja intends to continue engaging in future similar transactions to the extent they remain permissible under applicable laws and regulations."

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According to its Annual Report filed with the SEC for fiscal year 2013: "During the reporting period, the Iranian Ministry of Youth and Sports purchased a number of room nights at the Hilton Ankara, Turkey, which is leased by a foreign affiliate of Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. ("Hilton"). Revenue received by us for these hotel stays was approximately $4,360 and net profit was approximately $1,700. Hilton believes that the hotel stays were exempt from the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations, 31 C.F.R. Part 560, pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act ("IEEPA"). The Hilton Ankara intends to continue engaging in future similar transactions to the extent they remain permissible under IEEPA.

Also during the reporting period, certain individual employees at two Hilton-branded hotels in the United Arab Emirates received routine wage payments as direct deposits to their personal accounts at Bank Melli, an entity identified on the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List ("SDN List") maintained by the Office of Foreign Assets Control in the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Both of these hotels are owned by a third party, staffed by employees of the third-party owner and operated pursuant to a management agreement between the owner and a Hilton affiliate. In each case, these payments originated from the third-party owner’s account to the personal accounts of the employees at their chosen bank. No revenues or net profits are associated with these transactions. Both hotels discontinued making direct deposits to accounts at Bank Melli.

During the reporting period, several individuals stayed at the DoubleTree Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, pursuant to a rate agreement between the hotel and Mahan Air, an entity identified on the SDN List. This hotel is staffed by employees of the third-party owner and operated pursuant to a management agreement between the owner and a Hilton affiliate. Under the agreement, which was entered into in the name of the owner, the hotel reserved a number of rooms for Mahan Air crew members at the DoubleTree Kuala Lumpur several times each week. Revenue received by Hilton attributable to Mahan Air crew hotel stays during the reporting period was approximately $1,980. Hilton considers its net profit on management fees to be approximately the same as its revenue. The DoubleTree Kuala Lumpur terminated the agreement and does not intend to engage in any future transactions with Mahan Air."

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Hilton is a leading global hospitality with more than 3500 hotels in 81 countries and 130,000 employees. Hilton Worldwide encompasses 10 brands, including Hilton, Conrad, Doubletree, Embassy Suites, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Inn & Suites, Homewood Suites, Home2 Suites, and Hilton Grand Vacations ( Company Website). 

UANI has learned that the Hilton Manhattan East will host Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's for his stay during the 2010 UN General Assembly. 

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"A security group is threatening to boycott the Hilton hotel chain for planning to host Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during next month's UN General Assembly meeting, The Post has learned. United Against Nuclear Iran said the Hilton Manhattan East should not be accepting "blood money" from Ahmadinejad and the Iranian delegation.

 'The Hilton's short-term profit from hosting the Iranian delegation is far outweighed by the grave implications of supporting a terrorist state that is illegally developing nuclear weapons,' UANI President Mark Wallace said in letters to Hilton CEO Christopher Nassetta and Manhattan East GM Louis Lach" (New York Post, "A'jad Hotel Boycott," 8/4/10) .

Morris Material Handling, an American subsidiary of Konecranes, is a construction equipment company that specializes in overhead cranes for industrial, shipping, and nuclear applications, as well as hoists and replacement parts (Company Website). Morris claims that its products are in use in over 30,000 sites around the world (Company Website). 

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“Konecranes [Morris Material Handling’s parent company] informed UANI it had made the decision to ‘withdraw from the Iranian market’ and is now ‘systematically refus[ing] all opportunities to sell new equipment and services to the country.’” (Business Wire, “Konecranes Ends Business in Iran, Becomes Fifth Crane Manufacturer to Pull Out Following UANI Cranes Campaign,” 2011)

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Hoist Magazine, a trade journal, reported that Morris sold crane kits to the Iran-based Arian Company, which generated $900,000 in sales in the year 2000 alone ("Morris Firms Relationships in Middle Eastern Region"). 

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The British-Iranian Chamber of Commerce notes that Alperton Ltd, a British engineering company, operates dealerships for Morris cranes in Iran (BICC). 

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In addition to their wide application in the petrochemical, oil, natural gas, and nuclear industries, Iran has used overhead cranes to publicly execute political prisoners ("Khomeini fatwa led to killing of 30,000 in Iran"). 

Hyster is an American materials handling company, which offers "a comprehensive range of warehousing equipment, industrial lift trucks, container handlers and reach stackers as well as quality parts" (Company Website). In addition to three manufacturing plants in the US, Hyster also has manufacturing operations in Mexico, Brazil, China, Japan, Australia, Ireland, The Netherlands, and Italy, with a dealer presence in 130 countries (Company Website). 

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Alperton Ltd, a British engineering company, has bid to become Hyster's agent in Iran. Alperton already has extensive business interests in Iran ("British Hyster Agent Pushes Into Iranian Market").

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Alperton states it sells Hyster forklift trucks in Iran (BICC). In addition to their application in the construction industry, Iran has previously used forklift trucks to publicly execute political prisoners ("Khomeini fatwa led to killing of 30,000 in Iran"). 

"Scotsman Industries is the largest global manufacturer of commercial ice machines with related products including storage bins, ice and water dispensers, industrial ice machines, high-end residential ice machines, blast chillers and commercial refrigeration units. The company’s products are sold under two global brands, Scotsman and Ice-O-Matic, and a number of leading regional brands. The company distributes its products in more than 100 countries to a range of end market customers that include quick-service and full-service restaurants, hotels and hospitality venues, health care facilities, food retailers and education, government and military facilities" (Holding Company Website).

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Scotsman Ice Systems is a subsidiary of Enodis, a foodmaking equipment company and acquisition of Warburg Pincus, a private equity firm. "In May 2009, Warburg Pincus completed the $160 million acquisition of Scotsman Industries from The Manitowoc Company. The Manitowoc Company had acquired the global ice machine businesses comprising Scotsman Industries as part of its 2008 acquisition of Enodis but was subsequently required to divest the businesses to satisfy regulatory conditions of various jurisdictions related to the Enodis acquisition" (Holding Company Website).

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On the company’s website, Scotsman lists three distributors in Tehran. (Company website)

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Bio Enzyme Persia, an authorized distributor of medical and laboratory equipment in Tehran, features the Scotsman logo on its website. (Iranian Dealer website)

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Iranob Co. sells and distributes food service equipment in the industrial sector, and features the Scotsman logo and its homepage. (Iranian Dealer website).

"As a leading global manufacturer of agricultural equipment, AGCO offers a full line of tractors, combines, hay tools, sprayers, forage and tillage equipment, which are distributed through more than 2,700 independent dealers and distributors in more than 140 countries worldwide."

"AGCO products are sold through four core brands: Challenger®, Fendt®, Massey Ferguson® and Valtra®, providing equipment to help farmers respond to today’s high demands" (Company website).

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Valtra, which is sold in over 75 countries, lists a dealer in Iran. (Valtra website)

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"In 1999, Dalfard introduced Valtra Inc, as its sole provider of heavy tractors and for the first time Valrta was presented to the Iranian Market in Agro-Food Exhibition in Tehran. Our management team with great dedication, hard work, and an accurate planning were able to import 500 units of Valtra tractors in Iran, which has been followed with bigger VALTRA T170 and T171 model with 184 hp" (Iranian Dealer website).

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In 2003, Valtra "received an order from Iran for 500 tractors. The tractors are 140-horsepower, 6-cylinder Valtra 8400 models. The order includes spare parts and extensive training. The contract is the largest single order ever booked by Valtra" (" Valtra Wins Major Order in Iran," Valtra Press Release, June 23 2003). 

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Massey Ferguson, another global brand of AGCO, and, according to the website, "the most widely sold brand of agricultural machinery in the world," is licensed to be sold at Iran Tractor Mfg Co (ITMCo) in Iran, under the names of VenIran, TajIran, MFT and Eder Derdison (Massey Ferguson Company Profile).

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The Iran Tractor Manufacturing Company manufactures and sells Massey Ferguson tractors. (Iran Tractor Manufacturing Company website)

“The Manitowoc Company, Inc. is a multi-industry, capital goods manufacturer with over 100 manufacturing and service facilities in 27 countries. It is recognized as one of the world's largest providers of lifting equipment for the global construction industry, including lattice-boom cranes, tower cranes, mobile telescopic cranes, and boom trucks. Manitowoc also is one of the world's leading innovators and manufacturers of commercial foodservice equipment serving the ice, beverage, refrigeration, food prep, and cooking needs of restaurants, convenience stores, hotels, institutions, and healthcare facilities” (The Wall Street Journal, "The Manitowoc Company to Participate in J.P. Morgan Diversified Industries Conference,"June 1 2010).

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The company also describes itself as "a leading provider of shipbuilding, ship repair, and conversion services for government, military, and commercial customers throughout the U.S. maritime industry" (Company website).

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Convotherm, a foodservice manufacturer and subsidiary of Manitowac, lists a contact person for sales in Iran on its website. (Subsidiary website)

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Scotsman Ice, a leading global ice manufacturer, is a subsidiary of Enodis, a foodmaking equipment company and subsidiary of the Manitowoc Company.  On the company’s website, Scotsman lists three distributors in Tehran. (Subsidiary website)

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Bio Enzyme Persia, an authorized distributor of medical and laboratory equipment in Tehran, features the Scotsman logo on its website. (Iranian Dealer website)

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In a 2002 press release, Manitowoc stated its plan to create a customer focused sales area in the Middle East, including Iran in the list of countries: “The Middle East (Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, as well as Turkey for tower cranes), which will be managed, by David Semple for the tower crane line and by Hamid Summers for both mobile and crawler cranes, from Dubai” (Manitowoc Press Release, "Manitowoc Crane Group announces new organization structure for the Europe, Middle East and Africa region," February 28, 2002).

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Manitowoc Crane Group followed up its announced sales plan for the Middle East market with a regional distributors' conference in 2005. "Manitowoc Crane Group staged its first Middle East regional distributors’ conference in November 2005, at the Oasis Beach Hotel, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The event was an opportunity for Manitowoc Crane Group to meet with its local Grove dealers and discuss the fast-growing Middle East market.

"The conference included representatives from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE, Kuwait, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Iran, Oman, Qatar, and Iraq with companies such as Kanoo Machinery, Equipment Company, Orascom Trading, ETCO, Tolitech, Arabian Crane Services, Mannai Trading, and Boranex all sending delegates" (Manitowoc Crane Group News Release, "Middle East Meeting for Grove Dealers," January 6, 2006).

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One of the companies represented at the conference, Toli Tech, is an Iranian construction company with an office in Tehran (Iranian Company Information).