US Blacklists Iranian Energy Companies As Third Carrier Heads To Gulf

AFP
Friday, July 13, 2007

The US Commerce Department said Thursday it had blacklisted five Iranian energy and industrial groups, virtually ensuring the Iranian entities will not be able to do business with American companies. The move by the Commerce Department follows actions by the Treasury Department which has sought to cut off Iran's banks from the global financial system in recent months.

The Commerce Department said three of the Iranian groups were involved in "prohibited nuclear activities" in explaining its decision.

The five Iranian entities are the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Mesbah Energy Company, Kala Electric Company, Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group and Shahid Bakeri Industrial Group.

The groups are already subject to US Treasury financial sanctions.

The Iranian entities have been placed on the Commerce Department's Entity List, a watchlist of groups that might use or trade materials or equipment that could be used to develop weapons of mass destruction.

US officials have urged Iran to freeze its nuclear activities and speculated that Tehran is attempting to build an atomic bomb. Iran denies such claims and says its nuclear program is for civilian energy purposes.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice described Iran as "increasingly dangerous" last week in a US television interview and said it was pursuing technologies "that would lead to a nuclear weapon."

The Commerce Department said three of the entities are involved in prohibited nuclear activities and the remaining two are involved in "prohibited rocket systems and unmanned aerial vehicle activities."

"Updating the Entity List increases awareness and supports the exporting community's critical role in preventing the inappropriate diversion of US-controlled technology to WMD activities," said Mario Mancuso, under secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security.

"The challenges posed by Iran are particularly complex and urgent, and this Entity List update strengthens our government's ability to meet those challenges," Mancuso said.

The United States has not held diplomatic relations with Iran since shortly after the Islamic revolution in 1979.