Aerospace Industries Organization (AIO)
| Other Name: | Sazemane Sanaye Hava; Faza; Aerospace Industrial Organization |
|---|---|
| Location: | Tehran |
| Subordinate To: | Defense Industries Organization (DIO) |
| Size: | Unknown |
| Facility Status: | Operational |
The Aerospace Industries Organization (AIO) is the DIO subsidiary responsible for managing Iran's missile program, and is heavily involved in illicit procurement efforts. [1] For example, in February 2010 U.S. agents arrested a Taiwan passport holder in the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam on charges of illegally exporting commodities such as turbine engines, sealing compound, and hermetic connectors to Sanam Industrial Group for Iran's missile program. [2]
While the AIO has not been subject to UN sanctions, reportedly because Russia and China objected to its inclusion in UNSCR 1737 [3], it is a target of U.S. sanctions under Executive Order 13382. [4] Additionally, UNSCR 1737 froze the assets of AIO head Ahmad Vahid Dastjerdi and two other high-ranking AIO officials, and placed them under travel notification requirements. [5]
Sources:
[1] U.S. Department of the Treasury, "Treasury Designates Iranian Nuclear and Missile Entities," Washington, DC, 12 August 2009, www.ustreas.gov.
[2] Pascal Fletcher, "U.S. Charges Taiwan Citizen Over Iran Exports," Reuters, 4 February 2010.
[3] Yonah Alexander and Milton M. Hoenig, The New Iranian Leadership (London: Praeger Security International, 2008), p. 159.
[4] Kenneth Katzman, "Iran Sanctions," CRS Report for Congress, Congressional Research Service, Washington, DC, 24 December 2009, www.fas.org.
[5] United Nations, "Individuals and Entities Designated as Subject to the Travel Ban, Travel Notification Requirement, and Assets Freeze Pursuant to Resolution 1737 (2006) of 23 December 2006, 1747 (2007) of 24 March 2007 and 1803 (2008) of 3 March 2008," Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1737, www.un.org.
This material is produced independently for NTI by the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of and has not been independently verified by NTI or its directors, officers, employees, or agents. Copyright © 2011 by MIIS.
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Iran
This article provides an overview of Iran’s historical and current policies relating to nuclear, chemical, biological and missile proliferation.

