United States Senate
WASHINGTON, DC 20510
February 1, 2011
His Excellency Dr. Guido Westerwelle
Vice Chancellor and Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany
Werderscher Markt 1
10117 Berlin
Dear Minister Westerwelle:
We write to express our grave concer with the continued financial support of Iran’s
nuclear proliferation activity by Europiiisch-Iranische Handelsbank (EIH) in Hamburg and urge
the German government take immediate action to end these practices.
In September, the United States sanctioned EIH, citing its role as a key financial lifeline
for Iran and its facilitation of Iran's proliferation activities. EIH is one of Iran’s few remaining,
access points to the European financial system. ‘The bank has and continues to conduct
transactions on behalf of entities under U.S. and EU sanctions, including Bank Mellat, a
designated supporter of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI). The AEOI reports
directly to the Iranian president and is the main Iranian organization for research and
development of nuclear technology.
We know Germany shares intemnational concerns about the Iranian regime, including its
nuclear program, support for terrorism, and human rights abuses. The sanctions passed by the
EU this summer sent a strong message to Iran that we will not allow its illicit behavior and
violations of Security Council resolutions to go unanswered. Yet, the continued operation of
EIH allows the Iranian regime to skirt the sanctions and undercut their effectiveness.
Under U.S. law any financial institution that continues to conduct business with EIH may
itself be barred from accessing the U.S. financial system. Companies that continue to conduct
trade with Iran via EIH also face potential sanctions in the U.S., including restrictions on exports
to the U.S. and access to U.S. capital markets,
The threat of a nuclear armed Iran is undeniable and we must make sanctions as strong as
possible to deny Iran the economic means to develop those weapons. Europiisch-Iranische
Handelsbank must halt these practices or be closed immediately. We look forward to your
prompt attention to this issue and to working with you to combat illicit financial activity and
promote a safe and transparent global financial system.
Sincerely,
R. LautenbergMP put
‘Senator Al Franken
NKaratene E Autiibrand Bvt. Cane : ir.
Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand
Derry Mocan
‘Senator Jerry Moran
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tor Barbara Boxer Senator Mark Kirk
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Senator Scott P. Brown