Two Israeli arms dealers have been arrested on suspicion of trying to sell spare parts for F-4 Phantom fighter jets to Iran, Israel's Channel 2 news has reported.The company has been named as R.S.P. Rebuilt Spare Parts, based in northern Israel, Channel 10 reported. Israel's military censor allowed the publication of the firm's nameon Thursday.
Owned by Avichai Weinstein and Eli Cohen, R.S.P. Rebuilt Spare Parts was suspected multiple times before of trying to violate the arms embargo on the Islamic Republic.
Previous attempts to violate the embargo were carried out through the United States, Germany, Thailand and Portugal, Channel 2 reported. It said that Cohen had in the past to sell Iran parts for its armored personnel carriers and Phantom fighter jets, as well as guidance systems for anti-aircraft missiles.
According to Channel 2, Cohen had been under house arrest in the U.S.and paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines, but Israeliauthorities were unable to prove Iran was the final destination forthe shipments.
He was released from house arrest and had his license to sell arms restored, although he is still being investigated, according to Channel 2.
The current case was brought to light this week by Greek media, which reported earlier this week that a secret probe conducted by the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations agency and Greece's Financial Crimes Squad found that the operation was carried out in two stages, in December 2012 and in April 2013.
In both cases, the report said, officials found containers with spare parts for the plane that had been "sent by courier from the Israeli town of Binyamina-Giv'at Ada and had been destined for Iran, which has a large fleet of F-4 aircraft, via a Greek company registered under the name Tassos Karras SA in Votanikos, near central Athens."
The authorities were unable to locate a British national listed as the company's owner.
Iran's fleet of the twin-engine, all-weather, supersonic jet has been active since the 1960s, and was heavily utilized during the Iran-Iraq war.
By Haaretz
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