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9/22/2020

Treasury Sanctions Key Actors in Iran’s Nuclear and Ballistic Missile Programs | U.S. Department of the Treasury

Treasury Sanctions Key Actors in Iran’s Nuclear and Ballistic
Missile Programs
September 21, 2020

Action taken in support of the re-imposition of UN sanctions on Iran li ed under UNSCR 2231
WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s O ice of Foreign Assets Control
(OFAC) sanctioned three Deputy Directors of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI)
and a number of its subsidiaries. Companies supplying equipment for Iran’s ballistic missile
production overseen by Iran’s Aerospace Industries Organization (AIO) and senior o icials
working on Iran’s missile programs have also been designated. Today’s actions by Treasury,
the Department of State, and the Department of Commerce target entities and personnel
directly involved in Iran’s nuclear, ballistic missile, and conventional arms programs.
“The Trump Administration remains fully committed to its maximum pressure campaign
against the Iranian regime to prevent the production of a nuclear weapon and other malign
activities,” said Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin. “The Treasury Department will not hesitate to
target anyone who trades conventional arms with Iran, provides support to its nuclear
program, or facilitates its development of ballistic missiles.”
Treasury’s designations are being taken pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13382, which
provides authority to impose sanctions on proliferators of weapons of mass destruction
(WMD) and their supporters. These actions are being taken in support of the e ort to
implement and enforce UN sanctions on Iran previously li ed under UN Security Council
Resolution 2231.
SANCTIONS ON IRAN’S NUCLEAR PROGRAM
Treasury designated Mohammad Ghannadi Maragheh, AEOI’s Deputy Head of Nuclear
Planning and Strategic Supervision, and Javad Karimi Sabet, AEOI’s Deputy Head and the
head of AEOI’s Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute (NSTRI) pursuant to E.O.
13382 for their relationship to the AEOI, a central part of Iran’s nuclear program. UN
sanctions on Ghannadi Maragheh and Karimi Sabet were li ed in January 2016 under UN
Security Council Resolution 2231, but have now been reimposed under “snapback”;
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Treasury Sanctions Key Actors in Iran’s Nuclear and Ballistic Missile Programs | U.S. Department of the Treasury

therefore, these individuals have been added to OFAC’s list of Specially Designated Nationals
and Blocked Persons (SDN List).
On January 30, 2020, the State Department sanctioned the AEOI for having engaged, or
attempted to engage, in activities or transactions that have materially contributed to, or pose
a risk of materially contributing to, the proliferation of WMD by a foreign country of
proliferation concern. The Advanced Technologies Company of Iran (IATC), Mesbah Energy
Company, and NSTRI are entities subordinate to the AEOI and active components of Iran’s
nuclear program. Treasury previously identified IATC, Mesbah Energy Company and NSTRI
as part of the Government of Iran on November 5, 2018. Their listings have been updated to
reflect their designation pursuant to E.O. 13382 and their role as key components of Iran’s
nuclear program. AEOI spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi and Deputy Director Pezhman
Rahimian, who heads the sanctioned AEOI-a iliated Nuclear Fuel and Raw Materials
Production Company, were also designated pursuant to E.O. 13382.
SANCTIONS ON IRAN’S BALLISIC MISSILE PROGRAMS
Treasury designated Iran-based Mammut Industrial Group (Mammut Industries) and its
subsidiary Mammut Diesel pursuant to E.O. 13382 for providing support to an entity in Iran’s
ballistic missile program. Mammut Industries and Mammut Diesel are key producers and
suppliers of military-grade, dual-use goods for Iran’s missile programs. Since early 2000,
Mammut Industries has supported the production of ballistic missile equipment for Iran’s
AIO and specifically, Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group (SHIG), Iran’s primary developer of
liquid propelled missiles. As of late-2019, Mammut Industries continued to support SHIG’s
production of ballistic missile equipment. Behzad Ferdows and Mehrzad Ferdows are two of
the shareholders of Mammut Industries, and Mehrzad Ferdows is also the company’s CEO.
Mohammad Reza Dezfulian is the Managing Director of Mammut Diesel. Behzad Ferdows,
Mehrzad Ferdows, and Mohammad Reza Dezfulian were designated pursuant to E.O. 13382.
Also designated pursuant to E.O. 13382 are AIO o icial Asghar Esma’ilpur and long-time
SHIG o icial Mohammad Gholami. Esma’ilpur has served as the Director of SHIG’s Shahid
Haj Ali Movahed Research Center, which has played a key role in Iranian-North Korean
missile cooperation. Treasury designated Shahid Haj Ali Movahed Research Center pursuant
to E.O. 13382 on March 24, 2016 under the name Shahid Movahed Industries and has now
updated its SDN listing to reflect this new alias.
Treasury also updated the SDN listing for Seid Mir Ahmad Nooshin. Nooshin previously
served as the Director of SHIG and, in that role, was key to negotiations with the North
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Treasury Sanctions Key Actors in Iran’s Nuclear and Ballistic Missile Programs | U.S. Department of the Treasury

Koreans on long-range missile development projects. Nooshin’s entry on the SDN List was
updated to reflect his current position as the Director of AIO.
BASES FOR DESIGNATION
Advanced Technologies Company of Iran, Nuclear Science and Technology Research
Institute, and Mesbah Energy Company are being designated for being owned or controlled
by the AEOI, a person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O.
13382.
Pezhman Rahimian, Behrouz Kamalvandi, Javad Karimi Sabet, and Mohammad Ghannadi
Maragheh are being designated for acting or purporting to act for or on behalf of, directly or
indirectly, the AEOI, a person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant
to E.O. 13382.
Mammut Industries is being designated for having provided, or attempted to provide,
financial, material, technological or other support for, or goods or services in support of
SHIG, a person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 13382.
Mammut Diesel is being designated for being owned or controlled by Mammut Industries, a
person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 13382.
Behzad Ferdows and Mehrzad Ferdows are being designated for acting or purporting to act
for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Mammut Industries, a person whose property and
interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 13382.
Mohammad Reza Dezfulian is being designated for acting or purporting to act for or on
behalf of, directly or indirectly, Mammut Diesel, a person whose property and interests in
property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 13382.
Asghar Esma’ilpur is being designated for acting or purporting to act for or on behalf of,
directly or indirectly, AIO, a person whose property and interests in property are blocked
pursuant to E.O. 13382.
Mohammad Gholami is being designated for acting or purporting to act for or on behalf of,
directly or indirectly, SHIG, a person whose property and interests in property are blocked
pursuant to E.O. 13382.
Concurrent with this action, the Department of Commerce is adding the names of five Iranian
nuclear scientists to its Entity List. Also concurrent with today’s Treasury designations, the

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Treasury Sanctions Key Actors in Iran’s Nuclear and Ballistic Missile Programs | U.S. Department of the Treasury

State Department is imposing sanctions on AEOI o icials Hamid Reza Ghadirian and Ahmad
Asghari Shiva’i pursuant to E.O. 13382.
SANCTIONS IMPLICATIONS
As a result of today’s action, all property and interests in property of these targets that are in
the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons must be blocked and
reported to OFAC. OFAC’s regulations generally prohibit all dealings by U.S. persons or within
the United States (including transactions transiting the United States) that involve any
property or interests in property of blocked or designated persons.
In addition, persons that engage in certain transactions with the individuals and entities
designated today may themselves be exposed to sanctions or subject to an enforcement
action. Furthermore, unless an exception applies, any foreign financial institution that
knowingly facilitates a significant transaction for any of the individuals or entities designated
today could be subject to U.S. sanctions.
View identifying information on the individuals and entities designated today.

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