Israeli Dealers Shipping U.S. Arms to Iran, Union Says

Israeli weapons dealers have shipped at least 3,600 tons of American-made weapons to Iran in violation of U.S. restrictions, the Danish Sailors Union said Saturday.

Henrik Berlau, a union spokesman, said the Danish freighter Ilse TH carried four 900-ton shipments of weapons from the Israeli port of Eilat to the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas between May and August.

“We have the documentation, the log and the testimony of the sailors on board. We have the exact dates. There is absolutely no doubt,” Berlau said.

Israeli officials in Jerusalem could not be reached for comment.

“We have had this ship under heavy observation for six months, but we have only been able to publish our findings now as the ship has only just returned to Denmark,” said Preben Moller Hansen, chairman of the sailor’s union. Earlier disclosure, he said, would have made the vessel and its Danish crew a prime target for Iraqi warplanes.

The union officials would not say what weapons were shipped or whether the containers had been opened but said they were “certain” the containers held American arms.

In 1980, then-Israeli Defense Minister Ariel Sharon unintentionally disclosed that Israel had sold $12 million in parts to Iran, including badly needed tires for American-made F-4 Phantom jets.

After U.S. objections, Israel said the sales had been stopped. Since then, Israel and Iran have repeatedly denied any arms transactions.

In April, U.S. officials accused retired Israeli Gen. Avraham Bar-Am of plotting to obtain $2- billion worth of weapons, including F-4 jets and anti-tank missiles, for sale to Iran. Iran needs parts and ammunition for its arsenal of old American arms bought during the reign of Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi.

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute said in its most recent arms yearbook that Iran is believed to receive covert deliveries of spare parts for its arsenal from Israel.