The Cutting Edge

Currently the four-day trade show “Iran Oil Show—International Oil, Gas, Refining, and Petrochemical Exhibition” takes place in Teheran, where numerous German companies participate, presenting their technology for the sanctioned Iranian energy sector. Key technology for the Iranian energy sector has been sanctioned since July 2010. The non-governmental organization Stop the Bomb calls on the responsible authorities in Germany to actively look into the business deals of these companies. Only through participation at the exhibition, companies cooperate with the Iranian regime and sanctioned companies. The exhibition is essentially organized by the Iranian Ministry of Petroleum. The participating companies must pay the stand fees to an account of Iran’s Bank Mellat, which is sanctioned by the EU and the USA. An extract from the EU legislation regarding Bank Mellat from October, 2011 says “The conduct of Bank Mellat fosters and relieves Iran's nuclear program and Iran's program for ballistic missiles.“ Also, Iranian companies such as Khatam Ol Anbia, which belongs to the sanctioned Revolutionary Guards, uses the exhibition to cultivate business contacts. Among the German companies that have confirmed their participation at the Iran Oil Show are Bopp & Reuther, Helmke, Hova and Schauenburg. The companies Herrenknecht and Pepperl + Fuchs are also present at the Iran Oil Show, according to exhibition's homepage. The range of products of the German companies include all kinds of products for the energy sector, including pumps, pipes, and construction machines and specialized measuring instruments. During April 2011, Stop the Bomb had compiled a list of German companies which took part at the Iran Oil Show in Teheran last year. Deals in the Iranian energy sector support the Iranian regime. The German companies that are active in this sector are therefore responsible for the fact that the regime can go on with its policy of human rights violations, its nuclear program, and the export of terror against the will of the Iranian people and in spite of massive protests against the regime. Revenues from the energy sector made up nearly 50 percent of the state budget and 80 percent of the export income in 2009–2010. The biggest part of the Iranian energy sector is state owned. Business partners in Iran are mostly companies connected to the economic empire of the Revolutionary Guards, who run the majority of the projects in the energy sector. The Revolutionary Guards are on the US terror list and since July 2010 have also been the EU sanctions list.