UANI Calls on Bank of Japan to Freeze $10 Billion Portfolio It is Holding on Behalf of Central Bank of Iran

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 9, 2013  Contact: Nathan Carleton, press@uani.com  Phone: (212) 554-3296   UANI Calls on Bank of Japan to Freeze $10 Billion Portfolio It is Holding on Behalf of Central Bank of Iran Asks BOJ to Clarify Full Nature and Extent of Relationship with CBI New York, NY - On Monday, United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) called on the Bank of Japan (BOJ) to freeze assets it is holding for the Central Bank of Iran (CBI). The CBI is blacklisted by the U.S. and EU for its role in financing and supporting Iran's terrorism and nuclear program. UANI understands that the BOJ is holding a portfolio for the CBI of approximately $10 billion. UANI and the BOJ have corresponded over the past months regarding the BOJ's CBI portfolio, however the BOJ has not taken substantive action with respect to the assets. UANI is therefore publicly calling on the BOJ today to take action, including freezing the CBI accounts it is holding, and preventing any liquidation, withdrawal, change in ownership, or other action that would benefit the CBI or other Iranian financial institutions or entities. In a letter to BOJ Governor Haruhiko Kuroda, UANI CEO, Ambassador Mark D. Wallace wrote: ... UANI understands that the BOJ is holding a portfolio for the CBI totaling upwards of approximately $10 billion. UANI has detailed information concerning the CBI portfolio, which reportedly includes non-matured, yen-denominated Japanese Government Bonds valued in the billions of dollars, in addition to other deposits totaling billions of dollars. As you are surely aware, in 2012 the U.S. designated the entire Iranian banking sector, including the CBI, as a terror and proliferation financing and money laundering risk, and imposed sanctions penalizing foreign financial institutions doing business with Iran's central bank. In addition, the international community has taken a variety of actions in recent years to sever Iranian financial institutions, including the CBI, from the international banking system. These actions were part of a comprehensive global strategy to isolate the Iranian regime in response to its continued pursuit of a nuclear weapon, support for terrorism and ongoing human rights abuses. Any financial institution participating in, transacting in any way, or holding or transmitting funds with or on behalf of Iran, is undermining this global effort. UANI is therefore highly concerned by the BOJ's apparent ongoing maintenance of substantial CBI assets in contravention of both U.S. policy, and the efforts of the international community to isolate Iran's banking sector. In order to confirm that the BOJ has not become a safe haven for Iranian assets, UANI is calling on the BOJ to immediately clarify its policy and intentions with respect to any assets it holds on behalf of the CBI or any other Iranian financial institution, and to provide a detailed description of any such assets including the amount and asset type. UANI further calls on the BOJ to commit to preventing any liquidation, withdrawal, change in ownership or any other action that could enable the withdrawal, transfer and/or liquidation of such assets for the benefit of the CBI or other Iranian financial institution or entity. ... Click here to read the full text of UANI's letter to BOJ. ### 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; 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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