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---
tags:
- Group
- Business
- Iran
- USA
---
The [[Hashemi brothers]] were a trio of [[Iran|Iranian]] brothers living in the [[USA|West]] who claimed to have connections in [[Iran]] with [[Ahmed Khomeini]], the son of [[Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini]]. They offered their services to the [[Jimmy Carter|Carter]] administration to help secure the release of the [[USA|American]] hostages held in [[Tehran]].[^1]
The brothers, [[Cyrus Hashemi]], [[Jamshid Hashemi]], and [[Reza Hashemi]], also claimed to be cousins of the influential [[Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani|Hojjat El-Islam Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani]]. They made a significant amount of money in arms sales, using their influence with the [[White House]] to sell small quantities of military equipment to the [[Iran|Iranians]], supposedly to gain goodwill for the release of the hostages.[^1]
Their [[Tehran]] contact, [[Iran Najd Rankuni]], was connected with the [[Iranian Revolutionary Guards]] but did not have direct access to the Supreme Council, which made it impossible for them to set up a serious dialogue between the [[USA|Americans]] and the [[Iran|Iranians]] for the hostages' release. The [[Hashemi brothers]] could not promise major arms sales through the [[Israel|Israelis]], which limited their effectiveness.[^1]
After the [[Ronald Reagan|Reagan]] administration took office in 1981 and the hostages were released, the [[United States Customs Service|U.S. Customs]] began investigating the [[Hashemi brothers]]. In 1984, they were indicted under the [[Arms Export Control Act]] for the illegal sale of weapons to [[Iran]]. [[Cyrus Hashemi|Cyrus]] and [[Jamshid Hashemi|Jamshid]] were tipped off and escaped the [[USA|U.S.]], but [[Reza Hashemi|Reza]] was arrested and became a hostage himself. His elder brothers then negotiated with [[United States Customs Service|Customs]] to become informants against the [[Iran|Iranian]] exile community in [[Europe]] and the [[USA|United States]].[^1]
[[Cyrus Hashemi|Cyrus]] was later used by [[Oliver North]] and [[USA|U.S.]] Customs in a sting operation to entrap individuals connected with [[Israel|Israeli]] intelligence arms sales to [[Iran]]. [[Cyrus Hashemi|Cyrus]] was found dead in his [[London]] apartment, with his death attributed to a sudden case of virulent leukemia, though [[Israel|Israeli]] intelligence suspected foul play.[^1]
### Footnotes
[^1]: Ben-Menashe, Ari. *Profits of War: Inside the Secret U.S.-Israeli Arms Network*. TrineDay, 1992. (Hereafter, "Profits of War")