Washington: The US has hit two Iranian
companies with sanctions for helping Iranian special forces
export arms.
Today`s action also penalised a Nigerian shipping agent
and three members of Iran`s hardline Quds Force.
Americans are banned from doing business with the men or
companies. Any US assets they held are now frozen.
The Treasury Department said Yas Air and Quds officials
Esmail Ghani, Sayyid Ali Akbar Tabatabaei and Hosein Aghajani
shipped weapons to the Mideast and Africa as Iran sought to
"evade international sanctions and export violence." The
airline moved assault rifles and mortar shells to Syria under
cover of humanitarian aid.
The department cited Behineh Trading`s involvement in a
shipment of grenades, rockets and mortars seized in Nigeria in
2010. Nigerian agent Ali Abbas Usman Jega was described as
complicit.
PTI
