UANI Launches Italy Trade Delegation Campaign, Calls on Danieli to Cease Business in Iran

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 3, 2014   Contact: Nathan Carleton, press@uani.com Phone: (212) 554-3296 UANI Launches Italy Trade Delegation Campaign, Calls on Danieli to Cease Business in Iran Steelmaking Engineering Firm Reportedly Met with Sanctioned Iranian Entity New York, NY - On Thursday, United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) continued its trade delegation campaign with a new focus on Italian firms by calling on steelmaking engineering firm Danieli SpA to terminate any Iran business activities. In February, Danieli reportedly attended a conference for the steel industry held in Tehran. According to reports, during a meeting with the director of the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO), DanieliPresident and CEO Gianpietro Benedetti spoke about Danieli's involvement in the construction of a steel tool factory in Shahreza, Iran, and reportedly said Danieli "is ready to share its technical knowledge and years of experience in [the] steel industry with Iranian firms ... [and] ready to build a factory in Iran to design and produce mining equipment and machineries." Danieli's apparent interest in the Iranian market is ill-advised and premature. As President Barack Obama recently stated, businesses "exploring" the Iranian market "do so at their own peril right now, because we will come down on them like a ton of bricks." Additionally, IMIDRO is controlled by the Iranian regime and has been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department since 2010. UANI is also making Danieli aware of EU and U.S. sanctions that forbid the transfer or export of graphite or raw or semi-finished metals such as aluminum and steel. Danieli does work in the U.S., and maintains an American head office in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania. In a letter to Benedetti, UANI CEO, Ambassador Mark D. Wallace wrote: ... UANI calls on Danieli to immediately cease any existing Iran business activities and commit to forgo such activities until a comprehensive and final agreement is reached that unequivocally confirms the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program. In February 2014, Danieli reportedly attended a conference for the steel industry held in Tehran. In addition, during a meeting with the director of the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO), Iran Daily quoted you as saying, "The construction project of a factory for designing and production of equipment and machineries [for the steel industry] is currently underway in Shahreza, Isfahan province, and will come on stream within 15 months." Iran Daily also reported statements, attributed to you, indicating that Danieli was expanding its Iran operations including, "Danieli is ready to share its technical knowledge and years of experience in [the] steel industry with Iranian firms" and the company "is ready to build a factory in Iran to design and produce mining equipment and machineries." UANI is particularly concerned that Danieli is planning to expand its business with IMIDRO, a sanctioned entity which was blacklisted by the U.S. Treasury Department in August 2010 because it was "determined to be owned or controlled by the Government of Iran" ...    **** Danieli's apparent interest in developing its Iran business is both premature and ill-advised. As clearly indicated in numerous statements issued by U.S. and EU officials, the JPA in no way gives a green light for companies to enter or re-enter the Iranian market. Simply put, Iran is not "open for business." ... Danieli is no doubt well-aware of EU Council Regulation No 1263/2012 of 21 December 2012, which prohibits the sale, supply, transfer or export of graphite or raw or semi-finished metals (such as aluminium and steel) to any Iranian person, entity or body, or for use in Iran. ... Given these restrictions and IMIDRO's pervasive role in Iran's mining and metals industry, it is unclear how Danieli can continue to conduct business with Iran in a legal manner. ... UANI's Trade Delegation Campaign tracks Italian, Austrian and French companies that are exploring the Iranian market following the signing and implementation of the Geneva interim agreement. Notwithstanding the terms of the agreement, there remain severe reputational, financial and legal risks associated with Iran business. Click here to read UANI's full letter to Danieli. Click here to send a message to Danieli. Click here to learn more about UANI's Italy Trade Delegation Campaign. Click here to learn more about UANI's Austria Trade Delegation Campaign. Click here to learn more about UANI's France Trade Delegation 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 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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