An Iranian-American Citizen Charged with Violating Sanctions Against the Islamic Republic

The U.S. Department of Justice announced that an Iranian-born citizen has violated U.S. sanctions by selling telecommunications software to Iran. According to a statement from the department on Tuesday, October 3, Farhad Nafai, 70, has been accused of violating an emergency economic order established by international powers. This order, enacted in 1977 to counter extraordinary foreign threats against the U.S., allows the President to regulate international trade during a declared emergency. The statement emphasizes that any threat to U.S. national security, foreign policy, or economy falls under this law, thus prohibiting certain activities and transactions with Iran and its government. The statement also notes that the export or facilitation of American products and services to Iran is subject to U.S. sanctions against the Islamic Republic. It is stated that Farhad Nafai, who has worked as a consultant for non-Iranian telecommunications companies dealing with Iran, directly sold telecommunications software to Iran while disregarding his professional obligations. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, this California resident admitted to his crime and mentioned that the proceeds from the transaction with Iran were approximately $400,000. Farhad Nafai is also facing charges of tax evasion, and the Department of Homeland Security and the Internal Revenue Service are investigating this case. The judge is expected to issue a ruling on the defendant on January 29 of the current year. There have been previous convictions of Iranian-born citizens in the U.S. for violating sanctions against Iran. In August of this year, the U.S. Department of Justice sentenced Behrouz Mokhtari, an Iranian-American citizen, to three years and five months in prison for conspiring to 'violate the Islamic Republic's sanctions.' Additionally, the U.S. Department of Justice sentenced another Iranian-American to 41 months in prison for 'circumventing sanctions.' Iranian officials have criticized the sanctions against the Iranian government, claiming that these sanctions have not been effective. A German bank was banned from dealing with the Islamic Republic due to 'potential money laundering.' U.S. senators have called for further sanctions against China for oil transactions with Iran. The U.S. State Department stated that it is monitoring Iran-Russia economic cooperation. An Iranian has been charged by a U.S. federal court with violating sanctions against the Islamic Republic. The FBI is pursuing three Iranian merchants in Canada.