United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) Warns French Companies About Dangers of Business with Iran

Group of leading former diplomats, lawmakers issues warning as Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif travels to Paris

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), a global advocacy organisation focused on raising awareness about the dangers posed by the Iranian regime, issued a strong warning today to French companies considering doing business in that country. The warning coincides with the visit of Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif to Paris today.

UANI has directly contacted corporations around the world—including French companies Airbus, Air France, Renault, Total, Engie, Vinci, and CMA CGM—regarding the risks of business in Iran. Airbus, for example, is attempting to finalize a deal to sell more than 100 aircraft to Iran for an estimated $27 billion, but is having difficulty doing so with leading international banks, including France's own BNP Paribas and Société Générale, refusing to facilitate transactions with Iran due to the severe risks involved.

"The Iranian regime is making every effort to convince French companies that Iran is a safe place to do business," said UANI CEO Ambassador Mark D. Wallace. "However, Iran's history of money laundering, support for terrorism, and brutality against its own citizens suggests otherwise. French companies-given past terrorist attacks against France, its citizens, and its interests-would be wise to carefully consider the profound legal, financial, and reputational risks of doing business in Iran."

"It is next to impossible for foreign companies to ensure that when doing business in Iran, they are not unwittingly doing business with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps ('IRGC'), a terrorist organization sanctioned by the international community whose tentacles reach into every key Iranian industry," said UANI Chairman Senator Joseph I. Lieberman. "When the benefits and risks are weighed objectively, it simply isn't worth it."

Media interested in speaking with Ambassador Wallace and Senator Lieberman, please contact: [email protected].

About UANI

UANI is an independent, not-for-profit, non-partisan, advocacy group founded in 2008 by Ambassador Mark D. Wallace, Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, former CIA Director Jim Woolsey and Middle East Expert Ambassador Dennis Ross, that seeks to heighten awareness of the danger the Iranian regime poses to the world.

UANI's Advisory Board consists of leading former diplomats and lawmakers from around the globe, including: Dr. August Hanning, Former Director of Germany's Federal Intelligence Service (BND); Sir Richard Dearlove, Former Head of the UK's MI6; Irwin Cotler, Former Minister of Justice and Former Attorney General of Canada; Radoslaw Sikorski, Former Foreign Minister of Poland; Wolfgang Schüssel, Former Chancellor of Austria; Ana Palacio, Former Foreign Affairs Minister of Spain; and Giulio Terzi di Sant'Agata, Former Foreign Minister of Italy.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160621006160/en/

United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI)
Steven Cohen, 212-922-0063
[email protected]

Source: United Against Nuclear Iran

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