An American Company Provides Internet Services to Iran

In the suburbs of Washington D.C., the capital of the United States, a computer services company that has had the U.S. Department of Defense as its largest contractor is now planning to offer new services to a new client: providing internet services to Iran. The company 'GTT Communications', based in McLean, has not released details regarding its new client or other business partners in Gulf countries. According to Daily Beast, one of the company's internet cables will be near Bushehr, which is home to one of the main reactors of Iran's nuclear program. GTT's collaboration with Gulf Bridge International (GBI), an internet service provider in the Middle East based in Doha, Qatar, was only announced in a tweet by GBI last spring. Daily Beast reports that while their attempts to speak with GTT have not yet yielded results, evidence suggests that the company has been providing internet services to cities in Iran for months. Given the comprehensive sanctions against Iran due to its nuclear program, American companies are generally prohibited from operating in Iran. However, last year, the U.S. Treasury Department, which enforces sanctions against Iran, allowed certain companies to sell some services aimed at expanding internet access under new regulations. These new rules permit GTT and some other internet service providers to enter the Iranian internet market. According to Daily Beast, GTT began providing internet services to Iran through GBI just before the finalization of the nuclear agreement between Iran and six world powers. Doug Madory, director of the Dyn analytical institute that examines internet connections, tells Daily Beast that only Iranian officials are aware of the volume of GTT's work and the extent of internet connections facilitated by the company's cables, which could encompass a large portion of all internet connectivity in Iran. Although a spokesperson for GTT stated that the company refrains from commenting on its collaboration with Iran until the cooperation agreement is finalized, they emphasized that the company has not violated any laws and operates in accordance with U.S. policies regarding the management of information flow to and from Iran. Ms. Ann Rute, a spokesperson for the company, stated: 'GTT has no business relationship with Iran or the Iranian government. All internet traffic from Iran and through this company is conducted via the commercial intermediaries of this organization in the Middle East.'