Germany arrests 4 suspected of violating Iran embargo

German officials arrested four people Wednesday on suspicion that they supplied Iran with parts needed to build a nuclear reactor, in violation of the country's trade embargo on such items. 

The German man and three German-Iranian dual nationals were suspected of illegally shipping valves through front companies in Turkey and Azerbaijan in 2010 and 2011 in deals worth millions of euros, prosecutors' spokesman Marcus Koehler told NBC News. 


Suspects Rudolf M., a German, and dual citizens Kianzad Ka., Gholamali Ka. and Hamid Kh., were taken into custody on Wednesday, Koehler said.  The suspects' full names were not made available.

Israeli rhetoric on Iran strike heats up, could impact race for White House

Some 90 customs agents and prosecutors searched homes and businesses in Hamburg, Oldenburg and Weimar.

The involvement of German federal authorities reflected just how seriously the case was being taken, Koehler added.

NBC's Richard Engel and Ali Arouzi report on the escalating tension between the two nations.

"The federal prosecutor's office is only responsible for such cases when they have a special significance," he told NBC News. 

Six world powers -- Germany, the United States, Russia, China, France and Britain -- have sought to persuade Iran to scale back its nuclear program, which they fear is aimed at developing weapons, through intensifying economic sanctions and diplomacy. 

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta now believes there's a strong possibility that Israel will attack Iran in an attempt to thwart Tehran's nuclear ambitions, according to U.S. officials. NBC's Richard Engel reports.

Tehran maintains its program serves peaceful purposes only. 

Reuters contributed to this report. 

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Discuss this post

We all know how badly Iran wants nukes.

We need to drop a few hundred on them and see if they still want them.

  • 13 votes
Reply#1 - Wed Aug 15, 2012 8:36 AM EDT

There's always someone out there willing to sell out, even if it means the lives of thousands. Lock these 4 away for life.

  • 13 votes
#1.1 - Wed Aug 15, 2012 10:32 AM EDT

4 GERMANS........ I'm not going to say THAT but.

slam these A55HOLES into prison.

  • 3 votes
#1.2 - Wed Aug 15, 2012 12:22 PM EDT

Now, now boys, if memory serve me right, and it does, Saddam wanted to build a Super Gun. There was a man in Canada (name eludes me here) who was a weapons (artillery) Engineer who disappeared shortly after designing one for him. A short while later a pipe shipment from the USA to Iraq was thought to be suspicous and turned out to be sections of the barrel for said "Super Gun". We are not exactly without guilt in past years on such matters.

    #1.3 - Fri Aug 17, 2012 4:24 PM EDT
    Reply

    Who is "we" in your universe? I must've missed the sign-up pledge drive.

    • 3 votes
    Reply#2 - Wed Aug 15, 2012 8:52 AM EDT

    Iran hates the 'west' with a passion after Dwight Eisenhower and John Foster Dulles (two American heroes) enabled a coup to depose the elected government of Iran back in the 1950's. Before that, Britain took great pride in running Iran with a puppet leader, gaining all the profit from their oil and resources. As long at the 'west' keeps poking Iran with a sharp stick, the ayatollah will continue his radical rhetoric and seek some method of retribution for all those years of perceived 'enslavement' by western powers. There is no easy fix for a hundred years of meddling foreign governments in Iran. Unless you understand WHY Iran hates the US, it is useless to try and negotiate.

    • 4 votes
    Reply#3 - Wed Aug 15, 2012 9:12 AM EDT

    Very convenient to ignore the fact that Iran was a US partner for 20 years, as well as engaged in a productive relationship with Israel. They were economically successful and the people had more rights than they do now except for the Islamics. Under International law the American Embassy is considered United States property so the 1979 Government sponsored attack on the US embassy was in fact a declaration of war by Iran. Impossible to negotiate with islamics. They either get you or you get them. It is what it is. Like it or not.

    • 12 votes
    #3.1 - Wed Aug 15, 2012 9:30 AM EDT

    When Iran was a US partner, it was because it was run by a US-installed dictator who used the SAVAK secret police to torture his citizens. Democracy is always better than dictatorship (which would you rather live under?) and the US destroyed the Iranian democracy.

    I don't think you'd like it much if Iran toppled the US democracy and installed a pro-Iran dictator in Washington. Iran didn't like the 1953 coup either.

      #3.2 - Wed Aug 15, 2012 9:49 AM EDT

      Convenient, too, to completely ignore the history of the differences between the deposed Shah and his father.

      But go on with your ideology first and facts second. It is the way of the extremist, and it is all the rage.

      • 6 votes
      #3.3 - Wed Aug 15, 2012 10:33 AM EDT

      It should be mentioned that it was the UK who supplied the capital, technology and equipment needed to pump oil from the gulf in 1905 and in 1950 PM Mossadegh's party broke a legal business contract (that was in litigation) with Britain to nationalize Iran's oil, cutting off cash flow to war-torn Britain and at the same time severing USA's oil supply. Also SAVAK was controlled by IRANIANS!

      • 2 votes
      #3.4 - Wed Aug 15, 2012 11:49 AM EDT

      72 virgins and rivers of honey? Who writes for these guys, anyway? Yeah, okay, youbetcha!

        #3.5 - Wed Aug 15, 2012 12:19 PM EDT

        Yes SAVAK was controlled by Iranians and the KGB was controlled by Russians... that didn't change the fact that the Soviet Union was a police state, as was Iran under the Shah.

        • 1 vote
        #3.6 - Wed Aug 15, 2012 8:06 PM EDT

        @steve711, probably the same guy that got, what seams overnight, so many people shouting, "Jihad, Jihad". I remember the quiter days when all they said was "Yankee, go home". And some Southern boy stood up and said in your direction, "what did you do to piss them off?"

          #3.7 - Fri Aug 17, 2012 4:36 PM EDT
          Reply

          So what did they expect from an Iranian duel national?? Did the germans think that these Iranian Duel Nationals were going to be Loyal to Germany? Wake up Governments of the free world, you are ALL Stupid, Stupid, did I mention STUPID. Oh, and let me not forget "Politically Correct".

          • 9 votes
          Reply#4 - Wed Aug 15, 2012 9:17 AM EDT

          So true!

          • 6 votes
          #4.1 - Wed Aug 15, 2012 10:42 AM EDT
          Reply

          The Standard Chartered case proves that politicians are spineless when it comes to this sort of thing. Nothing meaningful will happen.

          • 3 votes
          Reply#5 - Wed Aug 15, 2012 9:23 AM EDT

          Actually no. The Germans prove they take this seriously. The Obama administration proved that it's still in the pocket of banksters. NY State was trying to do the right thing, but was pre-empted by the feds.

          It's an absolute disgrace that they keep getting away with it.

          • 7 votes
          #5.1 - Wed Aug 15, 2012 10:14 AM EDT
          Reply

          Send them to Gitmo with the other terrorists to await their military trial .....FOREVER. Problem solved.

          • 5 votes
          Reply#6 - Wed Aug 15, 2012 10:29 AM EDT

          Good idea but i really don't want to pay for them to be there. Just hang and get it over with. Now the problen is solved.

          • 2 votes
          #6.1 - Wed Aug 15, 2012 7:27 PM EDT
          Reply

          They came there for a very specific reason. And apparently they accomplished what they set out to do. So they serve time in jail. I am sure their families were paid well. You know - a camel in every house. AND a light bulb!

          • 4 votes
          Reply#7 - Wed Aug 15, 2012 10:39 AM EDT

          Germany arrest 4 Iranian - lovers of money.... Is this just lip service of does the US really have an ally???

          • 1 vote
          Reply#8 - Wed Aug 15, 2012 11:49 AM EDT

          Sanctions and embargos do not work, never have, never will, unless they are backed by credible (no talks) military option. See Cuba. Otherwise the theocratic dictatorship of the ayatollahs will always find a way to get around them.

          • 4 votes
          Reply#9 - Wed Aug 15, 2012 11:59 AM EDT

          BINGO! Well put farideh. Sanctions don't even equal a slap on the wrist. The only people who suffer are those citizens in the targeted nation who are gouged at market for food, fuel etc. The lower class. A better step would be a blockade, but again, the suffering would be worse at the bottom of the ladder. Iran with nuclear weapons can only lead to one thing. World War. Iran WILL launch on Israel. The U.S. WILL retaliate because of our "friendship" (read "need for oil). I do NOT think we should start a land war, send troops in. Iraq and Afghanistan taught a lesson, though how far up the political ladder in the U.S. that lesson was REALLY learned, who knows. At the very top I doubt they learned much from the casualty reports they read. But how, then, to take a man out of power who's so disillusion he thinks the Holocaust was fiction? And if you DO manage it, how much worse will the next president be? It's the same problem in EVERY Middle Eastern nation. It's one we will NEVER SOLVE, because we think they can be made to be like us...and THEY CAN NOT. I do not feel we have the right to FORCE our form of government on them, either. Within 24 months another sociopath will be leading Iraq. Afghanistan is already deteriorating and we've not even pulled out yet. It's like dealing with a meth addict. You can't help them unless THEY WANT HELP. Imagine if Assad had tactical nukes right now? He is already bombing HIS OWN CIVILIAN POPULATION indiscriminately.

          The Middle East is a powder keg and the fuse is lit. The trickle down HAS to effect the entire world, given the region exports the worlds second most important commodity (the first is HUMAN LIFE). Just the threat that something MIGHT happen SOME DAY in the next DECADE is enough to push petroleum prices through the roof. Until this entire region stabilizes the worlds economies will never stabilize. I'm no crazy end-of-the-world survivalist, but the events of the last ten years have spurred me to make preparations. No, the world isn't going to end in some giant conflagration, but SOCIETIES very well could. Iraq. Iran. Afghanistan. Syria. Egypt. Libya. Pakistan. This small corner of the world, unless we stop making toothless threats, will begin the chain of dominoes that will bring us ALL down.

          Thanks for a very short, to the point statement that sums it all up with perfection.

            #9.1 - Mon Aug 20, 2012 12:24 PM EDT
            Reply

            Someone needs to drop Nukes on Israel so we can end all these wars once and for all. Israel has become the cancer of the world.

            • 1 vote
            Reply#10 - Wed Aug 15, 2012 12:04 PM EDT

            Here is EnriqueTomanda pretending to be... what ? Spanish? Latino? What Enrique is, is a born-again anti-Semite which, of course, verifies not just his cosmic ignorance of facts, but spells "Me Terrorist" across his scrawny chest. Indelibly, in my book.

            I prefer to quote Marie Antoinette to you Enrique... off with your head, or at least your voice box.

            • 2 votes
            #10.1 - Wed Aug 15, 2012 1:44 PM EDT

            And your a Southern Baptist pretending to be an American and not force your Religious beliefs on anybody else. Saying all the while you have a right to your belief so long as it follows mine exactly. Yep, understood, yes sir.

              #10.2 - Fri Aug 17, 2012 4:52 PM EDT
              Reply

              Ah, yes according to President Obama give it time for the sanctions to work. Iran is saying "what sanctions?"

              • 1 vote
              Reply#11 - Wed Aug 15, 2012 1:08 PM EDT

              Meanwhile banks including HSBC, Wachovia, etc. illegally launder BILLIONS of dollars for Iran, drug cartels and other terrorist states -- and knowingly and systematically commit many other crimes -- without ZERO criminal consequences.

              WHY do our criminal laws not apply to bankers??? Bankers are above the law -- and our governments corrupt.

              • 2 votes
              Reply#12 - Wed Aug 15, 2012 4:10 PM EDT

              Iran with nuclear anything should have the entire worlds attention regardless of all the BS that continues to keep humanity seperated. Also if the Israeli hating countries, people and religions would stop the non stop terrorist and miliatry attacks on the Jews a lot of the unrest in the mideast would disappear overnite.

              • 1 vote
              Reply#13 - Wed Aug 15, 2012 11:36 PM EDT

              Ah German justice- they will pay a fine spend 6 months in jail and say they are rehabbed

              • 1 vote
              Reply#14 - Thu Aug 16, 2012 12:39 AM EDT

              this is a F A L S E report.....Germany has been going behind everyone's back for years....ANONYMOUS, you are oh so right....

                Reply#15 - Fri Aug 17, 2012 10:55 AM EDT
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