WASHINGTON Ñ The United States has identified the 12 firms and individuals
deemed to have transferred components and technology for weapons of mass
destruction to Iran. U.S. officials said the Chinese government is flouting the sanctions.
The measures marked the first time Washington has imposed sanctions on
firms from Armenia and Moldavia. Eight Chinese firms were also sanctioned, Middle East Newsline reported..
While the governments of Armenia and Moldavia were found to have cooperated in the U.S. investigation, China's has not, U.S. officials said. Beijing has not supported U.S. efforts to stop the transfer of WMD technology to Iran and even continues to allow Chinese companies already under sanction to deal with
Iran's strategic weapons programs, the officials said.
In all, eight Chinese companies were hit by sanctions along with two
Armenian and two Moldavian firms and individuals. A notice in the Federal
Register on May 16 did not disclose what had been transferred to Iran. The
sanctions will remain for two years and bar U.S. companies or individuals
from dealing with the blacklisted entities.
Earlier, the State Department said the sanctions had been decided in
accordance with the Iran Nonproliferation Act of 2000. The law bans the sale
of chemical and biological weapons components and missiles and missile
technology to Iran.
The Federal Register listed the following company and individual from
Armenia: Lizen Open Joint Stock Company and businessman Armen Sargsian.
The Chinese companies sanctioned were Liyang Chemical Equipment Company,
or Liyang Yunlong of China; the Zibo Chemical Equipment Plant, or Chemet
Global Ltd of China; the China National Machinery and Electric Equipment
Import and Export Company; the Wha Cheong Tai Company of China; the China
Shipbuilding Trading Company; the China Precision Machinery Import/Export
Corporation; the China National Aero-Technology Import and Export
Corporation.
A Chinese businessman identified as Q.C. Chen was also sanctioned. Chen
as well as Liyang China National Machinery were sanctioned in January.
Officials said Chen and the Chinese firms are believed involved in a project
to weaponize Iranian Shihab-3 intermediate-range missiles with chemical and
biological warheads. They were also said to supply Iran with cruise missile
components.
The State Department imposed sanctions on the Modavian firm Cuanta, SA
as well as a Moldavian national identified as Mikhail Pavlovich Vladov. U.S.
officials said both the Armenian and Moldavian companies are
government-controlled and connected to Russian industrialists.
Officials said Russian companies use companies in Armenia in republics
of the former Soviet Union as fronts for the transfer of technology and
components to Iran. But they added that the governments in Armenia and
