Jafari remains at large and is believed to be in Iran, according to the Justice Department.
The indictment shows how dependent the Islamic Republic is on foreign products for its missile program, despite its repeated assertions that everything it uses is domestically produced.
David Kris, the US Justice Department’s assistant attorney general for national security, said in a statement, “The allegations in the indictment unsealed today shed light on the reach of Iran’s illegal procurement networks and the importance of keeping US materials from being exploited for Iran’s weapons development,”
The network supports Iran’s missile program by obtaining metal products, including steel and aluminum alloys, for subordinates of Iran’s Aerospace Industries Organization (AIO), according to the Treasury Department. Between 2007 and late 2008, the network facilitated shipments of more than $7 million for companies working with AIO, according to the department.
In one case detailed in the indictment, Sanam Industrial Group, controlled by AIO and sanctioned by the United States and United Nations for involvement in nuclear and ballistic missile activities, issued Jafari’s company a request for a quote on specialized steel welding wire with aerospace applications. In 2007, he allegedly ordered the wire from a company in Nevada.
It said that shipment was intercepted before it could go to Iran.
