U.S. to sell Iran’s million-dollar property on alleged charges

TEHRAN,Apr.19(MNA) – The U.S. government has decided to sell a 36-story New York building and other properties owned by Iran on terrorism-related allegations. According to a court document filed on Thursday, a U.S. judge agreed to sell the building, owned by the Alavi Foundation and Assa Corporation, and other Iranian forfeited assets on charges of “money laundering”, “illegal sanctions-violation”, and to reimburse the victims of terrorist attacks allegedly sponsored by Iran. Iranian MP Mansour Haqiqatpour told on Friday that the parliament will study the case at the very earliest. The agreement stems from a 2008 lawsuit by the U.S. government against the building’s owners, according to the Associated Press. The U.S. government said buildings also will be sold in Queens and in Houston, Carmichael, Calif., Catharpin, Va., and Rockville, Md. Prosecutors said funds will be drawn from bank accounts formerly in the name of entities that allegedly served as fronts for the Iranian government, according to the Associated Press. The judge ruled last September that the Manhattan office tower was subject to forfeiture because revenue from it was allegedly funneled to the state-owned Iranian bank, Bank Melli, in violation of a U.S. trade embargo. The judge agreed that monetary transfers by the shell company, Assa Co., to Bank Melli violated money laundering statutes. According to its website, the Alavi Foundation is a not-for-profit organization, whose mission is to promote charitable and philanthropic causes through educational, religious and cultural programs and promotes Islamic culture and Persian language, literature and civilization.