At the end of the Obama administration significant sanctions on Iran were lifted. We started to see a flurry of economic activity including a deal to buy 80 Boeing aircraft. There was even talk of Iran Air breathing life into the Airbus A380 program. Those hopes were dashed with the re-introduction of sanctions by the current administration.
When a Norwegian Boeing 737 made an emergency landing in Iran the whole world watched the bureaucratic paperwork of sanctions play out. The plane needed a new engine, but bringing one to Iran required special permission from the U.S. — which wasn’t initially forthcoming because of the U.S. government shutdown.
And yet Iran commercial aviation managed to keep to the skies, in part because of ‘smuggling’ of aircraft parts into the country. One very small cog in that wheel is being prosecuted. A New Jersey woman has pled guilty to helping Iranian airlines obtain parts for their aircraft and will be sentenced in September.
The 52 year old Morris County resident, Joyce Eliabachus, pled to one count of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Over a two year period she shipped $2 million in parts to multiple Iranian carriers who haven’t been able to obtain them in light of U.S. sanctions. This is meant to seem really scary because one of the airlines buying parts – Mahan Air – “does business with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.”
Mahan Air Airbus A310, Dusseldorf Germany, Copyright ewastudio / 123RF Stock Photo
Ms. Eliabachus would purchase aircraft parts and send them to Iran via the UAE and Turkey through a business run out of her home. She made ‘at least’ 49 shipments totaling 23,554 parts. Money came back via Turkish bank accounts. She faces up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
This was all illegal. Iran is a horrible regime that oppresses its own people and exports war. This woman’s actions also made it possible for Iranian people to travel more freely, and probably more safely too. It was contrary to a US foreign policy which has failed to contain Iran or limit that country’s ability to engage in proxy wars throughout the region.
The U.S government pats itself on the back here,
“Today’s action is the result of outstanding collaborative efforts by the Office of Export Enforcement, the Justice Department, and Homeland Security Investigations,” Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Carson of the Office of Export Enforcement said. “This arrest will cut-off a key supplier to a proliferation network which illegally sold U.S. origin items to Iran. Violations such as these jeopardize national security and undermine U.S. foreign policy. We will continue to vigorously pursue violators wherever they may be.”
…U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian Michael in Newark, and the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, Office of Export Enforcement, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Carson in New York, with the investigation.
Iran Air Pilot Lands Like a Boss
I have a hard time mustering the same enthusiasm for this case as the U.S. Attorney does. Should she be punished for supplying commercial aircraft parts so Iranian airlines could fly safely?
(HT: Live and Let’s Fly)
Yes, she sure as hell should.
Moral of the story: Don’t do business with a country where you can’t send goods directly.
Oh you mean Iran is like the US not only exporting war (Iraq, Afghanistan, drone wars in Africa) but also exporting weapons of war to kill and maim civilians in Yemen ? Not to speak of the civil rights abuses the US engages in ….. right
“Should she be punished for supplying commercial aircraft parts so Iranian airlines could fly safely?”
Are you kidding? Absolutely. I think the appropriate slogan here is “‘Lock her up!”
Are you kidding, Gary? Those parts to Mahan Air are military supplies to a hostile power. Mahan Air has been a full participant in Iranian involvement in the Syrian civil war.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-sanctions-france-airline/france-bans-irans-mahan-air-for-flying-arms-troops-to-syria-elsewhere-idUSKCN1R6103
More politics! I hate the double standards by the U.S. government (Communism in Cuba -> bad, Communism in China -> eh, who cares; oppressive government in North Korea -> terrible and inhumane, oppressive government in Saudi Arabia -> eh, they have oil.)
I can’t think of one instance where Iran has been aggressive towards the U.S. Yes, I’m aware their self-interests may contradict other U.S. interests in the Middle East, but I would argue Saudi Arabia is a much worse place then Iran. Keep in mind, 15 of the 9/11 hijackers were from Saudi Arabia, but for some reason we have a cozy relationship with them.
My issue with it isn’t whether she helped the people of Iran travel more safely. That’s something I can support, though I understand those who say the law should override my personal moral compass.
It’s that’s she profited based on it. That clearly takes the lustre off the story that she’s doing it for the greater good.
Jimmy: Google “Iranian Hostage Crisis”. 52 Americans, 444 days. Longest hostage crisis in recorded history.
The safety of Iranian passengers is a specious argument. Would Iranian airlines fly unsafe planes otherwise? Who is putting whom in danger?
The idea of economic sanctions is to encourage diplomacy to settle differences. If hampering air commerce in Iran is what brings them to the table, that is a good thing. Being a citizen of a civilized country is a team sport. The idea of picking and choosing laws to obey and not obey is not a defensible position. This is not doing 70 in a 65 on the freeway.
@Jimmy:
“I can’t think of one instance where Iran has been aggressive towards the U.S.”
“I can’t think” pretty much sums it up. You may want to repeat this statement in front of those of the 52 US “guests” (i.e., hostages) of the Iranian government held in captivity for 444 days from 1979-1981, and subjected to torture and mock executions, who are still alive today. Or the hundreds of US servicemen and women maimed or killed by Iranian-designed and executed IEDs in Iraq and elsewhere. Or the American citizens now being held by the Iranian government. Or the…
Oh, just forget it. Perhaps you agree with Reality Winner, the now-convicted and imprisoned government secrets winner: “There are many Americans protesting US govt aggression towards Iran. If our Tangerine in Chief declares war, we stand with you!”
On the one hand, it seems wrong to deny working parts that could jeopardize human lives flying in the planes needing the parts. But on the other hand, sanctions are meant to achieve political objectives without having to point missiles at each other that could potentially kill thousands.
Ok, I’ll play along. When I made my comments, I was thinking more along the lines of recent history. Maybe I should’ve qualified it with a specific time period. Having said this, we can go back and find lots of gems in our own history. Iraq war – wrecked their country and destabilized the entire region based on false pretenses. How did we treat Japanese-Americans during WWII? Vietnam? Let’s go further back… half of the current United States was stolen from Mexico. I’m sure I’m missing others, but let’s not pretend this country has a spotless history.
For the record, I’m not an Iran apologist. My comment was geared towards the inconsistency of our foreign policy. There was a time when Osama bin Laden was an ally (because it suited us) There was a time when Saddam Hussein was given the key to the city of Detroit. If you can’t see the hypocrisy then keep drinking the Kool Aid.
I apologize to everyone for taking this off-topic. This is last reply on the subject.
When the Russians shot down the KAL 747 there was outrage around the world, led by Washington. Rightly so. When the Americans shot down the Iranian passenger plane, under similar circumstances, there was a deafening silence from Washington, followed by the limpest of excuses couched in terms of misunderstanding.
Americans just don’t seem to get the fact that the rest of the world doesn’t see them as a benign force for good, but rather as bullying, self-interested, deceitful, corrupt, power-crazed. They are not the moral compass.
8 years of Obama improved things greatly, only to have the changes snatched away by the lunatics now infesting the swamp, including the certifiable Bolton and Pompeo.
@Paolo – “8 years of Obama improved things greatly,”
Are you serious? Obama’s weaknesses allowed the rest of the world to think they should jockey for top dog. What about Syria’s Red Line (think Iran)? China and the South China Sea? Russia and Crimea? I’m not even going to point to the migrant crisis since that ball got rolling long before Obama showed up.
Wow. I’m appalled by this posting. Mahan Air was blacklisted by the US in 2011 (well before the Trump Administration) for providing technical and material support to the Quds Force, an elite unit of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. The IRG is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of innocent Americans, Yemenites, Israelis, and others. This woman is an accessory after the fact as far as I’m concerned.
The “Trumponistas” are surely out in full force today!
Lock her up!
If the planes can’t fly, their people will not be able to fly, who In turn may put pressure on the religious regime to change their ways. Sanctions are sanctions and this is perhaps an unexpected “benefit” to affect more people than just the ruling classes.
Seems to be a lot of people missing the point. Sounds like Joyce was a smuggler. The business of smuggling is arbitrage made possible by laws that prohibit the items smuggled. There are a number of risks to smuggling, among them loss of your money (ripoffs are common among smugglers) and loss of your freedom. These risks are why the margins on smuggling are so tempting. Joyce got caught and will likely lose her freedom, and the profits from her smuggling business. Risk of doing business. If she was doing it out of loyalty to a foreign power or because she was in Iranian employ, then she takes other risks, all of them part of the business. If she did it for the safety of the Iranian flying public (don’t want it raining Quds all over Isfahan, now do we?) then she is a saint and will get her reward in the next life.
Any good fare deals to write about?
Gary
Are you for real? Why would you think we should support this regime by any means? Hopefully your just trying to encourage comments and do not believe this.
@Jimmy
No aggression…how about Hezbollah killing 241 US Marines in Beirut in 1983 as well. Hezbollah is the party of god with declared loyalty to the religious leader of Iran.
Is US policy self interested and inconsistent- certainly. But citizens of Iran have little to no rights to protest or change their government policy. Americans on the other hand will not be arrested etc. For opposing the government and or speaking out against government action.
@ little Jimmy,
Try reading the news – Iran is currently involved in attacking multiple ships. But don’t worry – you are no more ignorant than the rest of the hilary voters.
While I am a supporter of Trump and his push to end illegal and detrimental immigration, it is ridiculous the government can arbitrarily ban the sale of plane parts to other businesses in a foreign country. These parts were not for military aircraft but commercial aircraft like Boeing and Airbus used to fly the Iranian people. This is the reason partly why iran has a poor aviation safety record. Mahan Air is akin to charter flights operated by Delta and American Airlines for the military. They are just moving people. I don’t agree with the Iranian government but I also don’t agree with 99% of what the democrats do in this country and 50% of the republicans do as well. For every claim against Iran the U.S. government does the same thing if not worse. Economic sanctions are a form of economic terrorism and I don’t support them.
So she cleared $2M in the operation yet the fine would leave her with $1.5M. Many people would suffer 5 years in prison for that kind of cash. It’s time we make the fines appropriate.
Another award winning article from the Thoughtless Leader of Travel
@Jim where is the evidence Iran attacked the ships?
According the the Crew! of the tanker, they were hit by something flying through the air and not a naval mine. Btw, if it was a naval mine, it would be below the water line and not above it.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2019/06/14/world/middleeast/oil-tanker-attack-gulf-oman.amp.html
You really think dotard and Bolton would not conjure up some engagement as justification for retaliation or to change the news cycle?
Btw, did you know Japan was purchasing crude and other carbon products from Iran in defiance of US Sanctions? Did you know those boats were carrying crude products TO japan? Did you know one of the two boats was Japanese owned? Why in the world would Iran attack the two ships while the PM was in country? Does that make any sense? Refresh yourself on both Bolton’s and the orange poo’s stance on Iran
Individually, we don’t get to set our own foreign policy. We do that as a nation through our elected officials. If it’s illegal to ship airplane parts to Iran (which, honestly, seems like a reasonable policy to me) and you decide to sell airplane parts to Iran, you deserve to be punished under the law. If you don’t like that law, you can try to change it through our democratic political process, but in the meantime, you can’t sell those parts.
I’m surprised, Gary, that you have a hard time with this pretty obvious observation.
Tough call Gary. While I like the fact that she may have made the aircraft fleet safer, supporting that regime outweighs whatever good may have been accomplished. She deserves punishment!
@dotard
Missiles:
https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Houthi-Missile-Hits-Saudi-Oil-Tanker.html
And mines:
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Iran+remove+mine+from+ship&view=detail&mid=27768D19F656DBD5F9A427768D19F656DBD5F9A4&FORM=VIRE
But don’t worry -it’s just a Bolton conspiracy!!!
This criminal should be charged separately for each part she sold. Then she would be fined many millions and be in prison the rest of her life.