Iranian man arrested in US for illegal tech exports to Iran
Bahram Mohammad Ostovari, who resides in both Santa Monica and Tehran, was taken into custody upon arrival at Los Angeles International Airport.
The US Department of Justice stated that Ostovari is accused of unlawfully shipping railway signaling and telecommunications equipment to Iran. He is the founder and CEO of a Tehran-based engineering firm that supplied such systems to the Iranian government, including projects for the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways.
According to the indictment, Ostovari and his associates obtained and sent computer processors, railway signaling equipment, and other electronic components to an Iranian company between May 2018 and July 2025. Prosecutors allege he used two front companies in the United Arab Emirates to acquire the electronics and reroute them to Iran while hiding their true destination from US suppliers.
The Justice Department noted that Ostovari continued these activities even after obtaining US permanent residency in May 2020. He reportedly acknowledged US sanctions in emails and instructed a co-conspirator to mislead a federal export control officer about the intended use of the goods.
Ostovari faces four counts of sanctions violations, with each count carrying a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison if convicted. - AFP
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