Continuing GAO Campaign, UANI Calls on Italian Energy Company Edison to End Business in Iran

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 30, 2011 Contact: Nathan Carleton, press@uani.com Phone: (212) 554-3296 Continuing GAO Campaign, UANI Calls on Italian Energy Company Edison to End Business in Iran New York, NY - On Wednesday, United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) called on Italian energy company Edison SpA ("Edison") to immediately cease its ongoing business activities in Iran. This August, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a report based on open sources documenting that Edison is one of 16 firms currently active in Iran's oil, gas, or petrochemical sectors. The GAO specifically highlighted Edison's business activities in Iran's energy sector as being inconsistent with the provisions of the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010 ("CISADA"). In a letter to Edison Chairman Giuliano Zuccoli, UANI President, Ambassador Mark D. Wallace, wrote: Edison is involved in several ongoing projects in Iran that are of great concern to UANI. ... by its own account, Edison operates a Hydrocarbon Branch in Iran designed to expand Edison's hydrocarbon exploration activities in Iran. (Edison 2010 Annual Report). Of greater concern ... is Edison's continued involvement in the Dayyer Block and the $107 million exploration and development contract it signed with the National Iranian Oil Company ("NIOC") in 2008. ... Recent press reports indicate that Edison is seeking not only exploration but development partners as well. (Iranoilgas.com, "Edison seeking partners for Iran's Dayyer Block," 5/1/2010) If this is the case, Edison's involvement in Iran could extend easily into several decades. **** An explicit goal of CISADA is to stop businesses from helping Iran develop its natural gas and petroleum sectors given the control exercised over those sectors by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps ("IRGC"). The IRGC is a known terrorist entity in control of Iran's oil, gas, and petrochemical sectors. The IRGC is the Iranian government's branch in direct control of Iran's weapons of mass destruction programs, including its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. The IRGC also 'bankrolls' groups in Iraq and Afghanistan that execute attacks against American and NATO servicemen. In fact, some 40 Italian soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan by the Taliban, which is being actively supported by Iran. By working with NIOC and the IRGC to develop Iran's oil sector, Edison is directly contributing to Iran's capabilities to sponsor terrorism, kill and maim NATO servicemen and develop its weapons of mass destruction programs. **** It is time for Edison to follow the lead of other responsible global corporations, including Caterpillar, Terex, ThyssenKrupp and Kia Motors, and send a strong message to the leadership in Tehran that the international community no longer tolerates its reckless behavior. As part of its GAO Campaign, UANI recently called on South Korean conglomerate Daelim, also identified by the GAO, to end its business in Iran. UANI requests a reply from Edison by December 12, 2011 regarding its existing and future business plans in Iran. Click here to read UANI's full letter to Edison. Click here to send a message to Edison. Click here to send a message to Daelim. Click here to learn more about UANI's GAO Campaign. ### United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) is a program of the American Coalition Against Nuclear Iran, Inc., a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The prospect of a nuclear-armed Iran should concern every American and be unacceptable to the community of nations. Since 1979 the Iranian regime, most recently under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's leadership, has demonstrated increasingly threatening behavior and rhetoric toward the US and the West. Iran continues to defy the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the United Nations in their attempts to monitor its nuclear activities. A number of Arab states have warned that Iran's development of nuclear weapons poses a threat to Middle East stability and could provoke a regional nuclear arms race. In short, the prospect of a nuclear armed Iran is a danger to world peace. United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) is a non-partisan, broad-based coalition that is united in a commitment to prevent Iran from fulfilling its ambition to become a regional super-power possessing nuclear weapons. UANI is an issue-based coalition in which each coalition member will have its own interests as well as the collective goal of advancing an Iran free of nuclear weapons. The Objectives of United Against a Nuclear Iran Inform the public about the nature of the Iranian regime, including its desire and intent to possess nuclear weapons, as well as Iran's role as a state sponsor of global terrorism, and a major violator of human rights at home and abroad; Heighten awareness nationally and internationally about the danger that a nuclear armed Iran poses to the region and the world; Mobilize public support, utilize media outreach, and persuade our elected leaders to voice a robust and united American opposition to a nuclear Iran; Lay the groundwork for effective US policies in coordination with European and other allies; Persuade the regime in Tehran to desist from its quest for nuclear weapons, while striving not to punish the Iranian people, and; Promote efforts that focus on vigorous national and international, social, economic, political and diplomatic measures. UANI is led by an advisory board of outstanding national figures representing all sectors of our country.

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