U.S. authorities have accused an Iranian man of operating an international smuggling network that illegally exported specialized metals used in rockets from the United States to his home country to support Iran’s ballistic missile program.
Milad Jafari, 36, believed to be at large in Iran, was indicted on 11 counts of fraud, illegal export and illegal smuggling by a federal grand jury in Washington on July 21, according to court documents unsealed Monday.
Justice Department officials said Jafari and his associates set up companies outside Iran to provide “direct support” to Iran’s missile program by securing metal products such as steel and aluminum alloys. The materials were bound for entities controlled by Iran’s Aerospace Industries Organization, a subsidiary of Iran’s military that oversees its missile industry and that has been subject to U.S. sanctions since 2005.
