عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
World

UK Man Guilty of Trying to Smuggle Generator from US to Iran

A UK citizen has pleaded guilty in Florida to attempting to smuggle industrial equipment to Iran. (Reuters)
A UK citizen has pleaded guilty in Florida to attempting to smuggle industrial equipment to Iran. (Reuters)
TT
TT

UK Man Guilty of Trying to Smuggle Generator from US to Iran

A UK citizen has pleaded guilty in Florida to attempting to smuggle industrial equipment to Iran. (Reuters)
A UK citizen has pleaded guilty in Florida to attempting to smuggle industrial equipment to Iran. (Reuters)

A UK citizen has pleaded guilty in Florida to federal charges related to violating an embargo and attempting to smuggle industrial equipment to Iran.

Colin Fisher, 45, pleaded guilty on Monday in Pensacola federal court to violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and to attempted smuggling in relation to exporting power generating equipment to Iran, according to court records.

He faces up to 30 years in prison at a scheduled Nov. 10 sentencing.

“Exporting technology to Iran is prohibited for a very good reason, yet this defendant chose to put his own self-interest above global and national security,” US Attorney for the Northern District of Florida Lawrence Keefe said in a statement.

Fisher was arrested by federal agents in August when he arrived in Pensacola to finish the deal, prosecutors said. Fisher has worked for nearly three years to violate the Iranian embargo by attempting to export a Solar Mars 90 S turbine core engine and parts from the US to Iran, they added.

Law enforcement authorities were able to seize the turbine before it was sent to a conspirator linked to an Iranian energy company. The intercepted turbine, which was valued at $500,000, could be used to provide energy to the oil fields of Iran.

James Meharg, CEO and president of Pensacola-based Turbine Resources International, was previously convicted of conspiring with Fisher to export a large turbine and parts from the US to Iran. He was sentenced to three years and four months in federal prison.

Most Viewed

 
 
World

Iran: Trump’s Victory Won’t Affect our Resolve to Retaliate against Israel

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei (Iranian Foreign Ministry)
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei (Iranian Foreign Ministry)
TT
TT

Iran: Trump’s Victory Won’t Affect our Resolve to Retaliate against Israel

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei (Iranian Foreign Ministry)
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei (Iranian Foreign Ministry)

Iran has downplayed the effect of US President Donald Trump’s re-election on its decision to retaliate “decisively” against Israel's airstrike on Iranian military bases last month.
Meanwhile, diplomats have signaled Iran's interest in talks with the new US administration, without external pressure.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei rejected any change in Iran's stance after Trump’s return to office. At a weekly press conference on Monday, he said: “Iran will never ask for permission to defend its sovereignty, and any aggression will be met with a strong response.”
Asked about the possibility of an Israeli strike on Iran's nuclear sites, Baghaei replied, “We have taken necessary steps to protect our interests and nuclear program.”
He also referenced Resolution 533, which prohibits any threat or use of force against nuclear facilities under the oversight of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
“This document exists,” he said, adding that it stresses the UN Security Council’s responsibility to act against such threats. “A threat to nuclear facilities is a threat to international peace and security.”
On Oct. 26, Israeli warplanes attacked military sites in Iran after a large Iranian missile strike on Israel earlier that month.
Iran had launched 200 missiles at Israel on Oct. 1, in retaliation for the killing of Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah, an Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander, and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Israeli airstrikes.
The two nations exchanged direct strikes in April, but did not engage in full-scale war.
As tensions between Iran and Israel grow, there are fears of a direct conflict, after years of covert actions and indirect strikes in the region.
Since last month’s airstrikes, Israel has warned Iran against further retaliation.
However, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has promised a “severe response,” and other Iranian officials have threatened revenge.
In the days leading up to the US presidential election on Nov. 5, signs of further escalation emerged.
On Nov. 3, the US announced the deployment of new military assets to the Middle East, scheduled to arrive “in the coming months” to defend Israel and warn Iran, according to a Pentagon statement.
Iranian Army Commander Abdolrahim Mousavi said on Thursday that Iran will decide the timing and method of its response, and when the time is right, “We will not hesitate. Our response will be overwhelming.”
However, Iran’s verbal threats have toned down since Trump's election victory.