Special to WorldTribune.com

WASHINGTON — The United Nations has sanctioned Iranian arms
exporters to Africa.

A Security Council committee has identified members of Iran’s Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Force responsible for shipping weapons to African
clients.

On April 20, the committee, in the first such measure since June
2010, imposed sanctions on officers from IRGC’s Quds Force.

“The individuals listed today helped plan a weapons shipment —
intercepted by Nigeria in 2010 — in violation of existing UN sanctions,” U.S. ambassador Susan Rice said.

The IRGC officers were identified as Azim Aghajani and Ali Akbar
Tabatabaei. Both men were identified as senior officers assigned to foreign operations.

“Both individuals and this company are tied to the Quds Force of the
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the group that directs Iranian support for terrorism and extremism worldwide,” Ms. Rice said.

Diplomats said Britain lobbied for the latest sanctions on IRGC in a
proposal in March. They said the United States supported the effort.

The Iranian company that came under Security Council sanctions was
identified as Behineh Trading. The sanctions committee said Behineh was one
of two Iranian companies that shipped weapons to West Africa.

“[It] acted on behalf of the IRGC Qods Force as the shipper of the
weapons consignment,” the sanctions committee said.

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