Justice Department says man tried to send U.S. military aircraft parts to Iran

Aug. 14 (UPI) -- The Justice Department announced on Wednesday that it has charged U.S.-Iranian national Jeffrey Chance Nader with exporting U.S.-made military aircraft components to Iran in violation of American sanctions.

Nader, 68, who was arrested in California on Tuesday, was named in a sealed indictment that was opened on Wednesday. The department said that, in 2023, Nader and other individuals conspired to purchase various military parts and ship them to Iran.

According to the indictment, the suspect posed as a U.S. supplier and purchased the military parts and attempted to ship them to the United Arab Emirates, where they would then be sent to Iran. The department said those parts would have directly benefitted Iranian military forces.

"This action demonstrates the Justice Department's commitment to keeping military-grade equipment out of the hands of the Iranian regime," Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen said in a statement.

"We will aggressively investigate, disrupt and hold accountable criminal networks that supply sensitive technology to hostile and repressive governments in contravention of U.S. sanctions."

The Justice Department said in Nader's case, the military aircraft parts were eventually detained by a special agent for the Department of Commerce before they left the country, and the scheme was never completed.

"Attacks by Iran and its proxies on U.S. allies in the Middle East and its ongoing supply of Russia with drones and other technology to be used in its illegal war against Ukraine demonstrates why we must do all that we can to stop Iran from acquiring U.S. parts, services and technology," U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Matthew Graves, said in a statement.

In another recent high-profile Justice Department case, Iranian brothers Shahab Mir'kazei and Yunus Mir'kazei were charged on Aug. 8 for allegedly working for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in connection with the interception of a boat smuggling advanced weaponry to Houthi rebels in Yemen in January.