Officials reportedly have said Germany will investigate claims that an Iranian-owned Hamburg bank has extensive business ties to blacklisted Iranian companies.
"The Wall Street Journal" quoted unnamed sources saying that the European-Iranian Trade Bank AG had done more than $1 billion in business with Iranian companies connected to the Islamic Republic's military and ballistic-missile procurement programs.
But at a Berlin press conference on July 19, German Foreign Ministry spokesman Andreas Peschke stopped short of confirming the subjects of possible investigations.
"Generally, we actively follow up on all issues related to [nuclear] proliferation," Peschke said, according to Reuters. "This goes for all companies in Germany including, of course, [the European-Iranian Trade Bank]. But as I said, I can't comment any further at this time."
The companies purportedly targeted in the German probe are suspected of having ties to units of Iran's Defense Industries Organization and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).
Germany is Iran's largest European trading partner.
compiled from agency reports