The U.S. Justice Department said on Wednesday that it has charged eight people and eight companies with illegally exporting American products to Iran.
The defendants, mostly of Iranian descent, were charged with purchasing and exporting to Iran commodities that could be used to make improvised explosive devices. They are facing between five to20 years in prison.
The alleged illegal exported items included "120 field-programmable gate array, more than 5,000 integrated circuits of varying types, approximately 345 Global positioning system (GPS) and 12,000 microchip brand micro controllers."
"All those items have potential military applications, including as components in the construction of improvised explosive devices (IED)," the Justice Department said in a statement.
IED has become a deadly weapon used by militants in Iraq against U.S. troops.
The United States has also accused Iran of developing nuclear weapons and imposed sanctions against the country. Under the U.S. law, no Americans are allowed to do business with Iranians.
Iran always denies American charges insisting that its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes.
Source:Xinhua
|
Comment
Tell A Friend
Print Format
Save Article