In recent years, numerous Iranians have bought passports from the Comoros Islands, a small nation between Mozambique and Madagascar. U.S. and Comoros officials worry the documents may have been used to skirt sanctions.<\/p>\n
By BOZORGMEHR SHARAFEDIN and DAVID LEWIS<\/p>\n
LONDON\/NAIROBI \u2013 In January, the Comoros Islands quietly cancelled a batch of its passports that foreigners had bought in recent years. The tiny nation off the east coast of Africa published no details of its reasons, saying only that the documents had been improperly issued.<\/p>\n
But a confidential list of the\u00a0passport recipients, reviewed by Reuters, indicates the move meant more than the government let on. Reuters found that more than 100 of 155 people who had their Comoros passports cancelled in January were Iranians. They included senior executives of companies working in shipping, oil and gas, and foreign currency and precious metals \u2013 all sectors that have been targeted by international sanctions on Iran. Some had bought more than one Comoros passport.<\/p>\n
Diplomats and security sources in the Comoros and the West are concerned that some Iranians acquired the passports to protect their interests as sanctions crimped Iran\u2019s ability to conduct international business.\u00a0While none of the people or companies involved faced sanctions, the restrictions on Iran could still make a second passport helpful. Comoros passports offer visa-free travel in parts of the Middle and Far East and could be used by Iranians to open accounts in foreign banks and register companies abroad.<\/p>\n
The Iranian government does not formally allow the country\u2019s citizens to hold a second passport. However, an Iranian source familiar with the buying of foreign passports said Iran\u2019s Ministry of Intelligence had given the green light\u00a0for some senior business figures to acquire them\u00a0to facilitate travel and business transactions.<\/p>\n
The Iranian government and its embassy in London did not respond to requests for comment.<\/p>\n
Houmed Msaidie, a former Comoros interior minister who was in office when some of the passports were issued, said he suspected some Iranians were \u201ctrying to use Comoros to get around sanctions.\u201d He said he had pushed for further checks before passports were granted to foreigners, but did not elaborate.<\/p>\n
The U.S. Treasury declined to comment, saying it did not discuss current investigations.<\/p>\n