- One of the accused was arrested in May; the other remains at large
- Both face one count of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act
- Western nations suspect Iran wants to build nuclear weapons, an assertion Tehran denies
Washington (CNN) -- A federal grand jury has indicted two people for their alleged attempts to supply Iran with U.S. materials for gas centrifuges to enrich uranium, the Justice Department said Friday.
The indictment charges Parviz Khaki, an Iranian citizen, and Zongcheng Yi, a resident of China, each with one count of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) by conspiring to export the goods without the required license.
Both also face one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, two counts of smuggling, two counts of illegally exporting U.S. goods to Iran in violation of IEEPA and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, the Justice Deaprtment said.
Khaki, 43, was arrested in the Philippines in May. Yi remains art large.
"This new indictment shows that we have no tolerance for those who try to traffic in commodities that can be used to support Iran's nuclear program," U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. said in a statement. "It also underscores our commitment to aggressively enforcing export laws."
Western powers fear that Iran may be trying to build nuclear weapons, despite the country's insistence that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. The West has been using sanctions and diplomacy to try to stop Iran from producing nuclear arms.
