Iranian-American Citizen Accepts Charges of Sending Military Information to Iran

Reports indicate that Mozafar Khazaei, a dual Iranian-American citizen, accepted charges in federal court in Hartford on Wednesday, March 6, regarding the transfer of sensitive military aircraft information to Iran. According to the Associated Press, 60-year-old Mozafar Khazaei, who worked as a contractor for companies contracted with the U.S. Department of Defense, could face up to 20 years in prison for violating the Arms Export Control Act. U.S. federal prosecutors state that Khazaei sent information related to F-35 and F-22 fighter jet engines to Iran through companies he worked for, including Pratt & Whitney. Pratt & Whitney is an American company that manufactures jet engines, missiles, and engines for gas turbines, producing engines for advanced fighter jets like the F-16 Falcon and F-35 Lightning II. According to the report, federal court officials say Khazaei intended to gain a position and job in Iran by sending this information. Reports indicate that Khazaei was arrested in 2013 at New Jersey airport while attempting to fly to Germany and then to Iran. Earlier, Reuters reported that U.S. federal agents began investigating Khazaei in November 2013 when U.S. customs officials inspected boxes he had sent by truck from Connecticut to an air freight company in Long Beach, California. According to those involved in the case, while the shipment's manifest stated that the boxes contained 'household items,' they actually contained 'technical manuals, specifications sheets, and other items related to F-35 fighter jets.' Authorities say that in total, 'thousands of pages' of documents were found in the shipment that Khazaei intended to send to Iran.