American jailed for attempted Iran weapons deal: prosecutors

AFP: A Los Angeles court jailed an American of Iranian origin for three years and five months Monday for trying to buy up to 100,000 submachine guns and sell them to Iran, prosecutors said. LOS ANGELES (AFP) — A Los Angeles court jailed an American of Iranian origin for three years and five months Monday for trying to buy up to 100,000 submachine guns and sell them to Iran, prosecutors said.

Seyed Mostafa Maghloubi, 50, was arrested in early 2007 by police acting on a tip-off and pleaded guilty last August to violating the US trade embargo against Iran.

Prosecutors said Maghloubi admitted trying to buy up to 100,000 Uzi submachine guns and night-vision goggles, which he wanted to export to Iran through Dubai.

“These were very dangerous actions,” said US District Judge George King, quoted by local media.

He said Maghloubi’s actions could have caused many deaths and destabilized “an area of the world that has suffered enough from continuing upheaval.”