U.S. Department of the Treasury

 

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Treasury today identified a network of six individuals and four businesses as subject to sanctions pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13599 for acting for or on behalf of the Government of Iran.   These actions are part of the United States Government’s ongoing efforts to prevent sanctions evasion by individuals and companies acting on behalf of the Government of Iran, including efforts to sell Iranian oil in circumvention of the strict limitations that the U.S. and many of its partners have adopted.  

In its efforts to evade sanctions, the Government of Iran relies on front companies, financial institutions and businessmen willing to engage in deceptive transactions to conceal the direct involvement of the Iranian Government and its instrumentalities such as the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) and the Naftiran Intertrade Company (NICO) Sarl in global oil deals.  

Today’s action targets the network of Seyed Seyyedi, an Iranian businessman and the director of Sima General Trading, an entity previously sanctioned by Treasury; a network of companies based in the U.A.E. that Seyyedi controls; and representatives of NIOC and NICO based in the UK and Switzerland.   

“Our sanctions on Iran’s oil sales are a critically important component of maintaining pressure on the Iranian Government, and we will not allow Iran to relieve that pressure through evasion and circumvention,” said Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David S. Cohen.  “We will continue to target those individuals and entities that devise schemes to evade our sanctions.”

Seyed Seyyedi was identified pursuant to E.O. 13599 today for acting on behalf of various Government of Iran entities and front companies, including NIOC, NICO, as well as Sima General Trading.  Treasury previously identified Sima General Trading as part of a network of Iranian government front companies in March 2013 for its role in the sanctions evasion scheme being carried out by the Greek businessman, Dimitris Cambis.  Seyyedi’s Sima General Trading helped finance a Cambis front company to purchase oil tankers while disguising the fact that the tankers were being purchased on behalf of the National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC).  Cambis’ front companies were used to deceive the international business community by obscuring the Iranian ownership of ships capable of carrying roughly 200 million U.S. dollars worth of oil per shipment.  Treasury is also identifying the U.A.E. -based KASB International LLC, Petro Royal FZE, and AA Energy FZCO, each of which is controlled by Seyyedi and used by him to assist NICO and NICO front companies, such as Sima General Trading, in its sanctions evasion schemes.

In addition to Seyed Seyyedi, Treasury is also identifying several other persons and entities for their links to the Government of Iran’s operations to evade oil sanctions.  

Swiss Management Services Sarl is a Swiss company controlled by NICO Sarl and used by NICO to continue its operations on behalf of Iran following multiple U.S. sanctions actions targeting NICO and NICO Sarl.  Mohmmad Moinie is Switzerland-based NICO Sarl’s commercial director.  

Reza Parsaei is a director for NIOC International Affairs (London) Ltd. which was identified as an entity of the Government of Iran in July 2010.  Parsaei has involved himself in a scheme to deceptively import Iranian oil into the EU.  Parsaei also coordinates closely with another director for NIOC International Affairs (London) Ltd., Seyyed Mohamad Ali Khatibi Tabatabaei.  Seyed Mohaddes and Mohammed Ziracchian Zadeh act as directors for the Iranian Oil Company (U.K.) Ltd., which was also identified as an entity of the Government of Iran in July 2010.

Each of the individuals and companies sanctioned today were identified under E.O. 13599, which blocks the property of the Government of Iran, including those of individuals and entities identified as acting for or on behalf of the Government of Iran.  Transactions by U.S. persons or through the United States with any of these entities are generally prohibited, and any assets they may have under U.S. jurisdiction are blocked.  Further, foreign persons and financial institutions that facilitate transactions for such persons or provide them with material support may also be exposed to sanctions. 

Name:   Seyed Nasser Mohammad Seyyedi

Title: Managing Director, Sima General Trading

DOB:   April 21, 1963

Citizenship: Iran

Passport: L18507193 (Iran)

alt. Passport: X95321252 (Iran)

alt. Passport: B14354139 (Iran)

Name: AA Energy FZCO

Address: United Arab Emirates

Name: Petro Royal FZE

Address: United Arab Emirates

Name: KASB International LLC

Address: United Arab Emirates

Name: Swiss Management Services Sarl

Address: 28C, Route de Denges, Lonay, Switzerland 1027, Switzerland

Name: Mohammad Moinie

Title: Commercial Director, Naftiran Intertrade Co Sarl

DOB: January 4, 1956

POB: Brojerd, Iran

Citizenship: United Kingdom

Passport: 301762718 (United Kingdom)

Name: Reza Parsaei

Title: Director, NIOC International Affairs (London) Ltd.

DOB: August 9, 1963

Citizenship: Iran

Name: Seyyed Mohamad Ali Khatibi Tabatabaei

Title: Director, NIOC International Affairs (London) Ltd.

Title: Director of International Affairs, NIOC  

DOB: September 27, 1955

Citizenship: Iran

Name: Seyed Mahmoud Mohaddes 

Title: Managing Director, Iranian Oil Company (U.K.) Ltd.

DOB: June 7, 1957

Citizenship: Iran

Name: Mahmoud Ziracchian Zadeh

Title: Director, Iranian Oil Company (U.K.) Ltd.

DOB: July 24, 1959

Citizenship: Iran

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