Iran Smugglers: Three Men Charged With Trying To Export U.S. Technology With Nuclear Implications

Authorities say a Southern California man has been charged along with two Iranians in a conspiracy to illegally export technology to Iran.

The FBI says in a statement that 56-year-old Jiraiir Avanessian of Glendale was arrested Monday at his home.

He was indicted in December along with Farhoud Masoumian and Amirhossein Sairafi on multiple charges including smuggling, money laundering and violating trade sanctions imposed on Iran. Sairafi was arrested this week in Germany. An arrest warrant has been issued for Masoumian.

The three are accused of conspiring for at least two years to export vacuum pumps and other equipment made by Avanessian's company to Iran.

The Los Angeles Times is reporting that the technology had the potential to help develop nuclear capabilities:

The parts, which were mislabeled and significantly devalued on shipping manifests, were initially sent to the United Arab Emirates, making it appear that was their final destination, federal authorities said. But a co-defendant would then forward the items to a third defendant in Tehran, according to court papers.

Rodi stressed that investigators have no proof about what the devices were ultimately going to be used for, but said that he had been briefed on their potential uses and that they included "development of nuclear capabilities."