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10 - PEOPLE/(H-M)/Cyrus Hashemi.md

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+---
+tags:
+  - Person
+  - Business
+  - Iran
+  - USA
+---
+[[Cyrus Hashemi]] was one of the [[Hashemi brothers]], an [[Iran|Iranian]] living in the [[USA|West]] who claimed connections to [[Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini|Khomeini's]] son, [[Ahmed Khomeini]]. He was involved in secret arms sales and negotiations concerning the [[USA|American]] hostages in [[Tehran]].[^1]
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+[[Cyrus Hashemi|Hashemi]] and his brothers made money selling small quantities of military equipment to [[Iran]], supposedly to gain goodwill for hostage release. He was later indicted under the [[Arms Export Control Act]] for illegal arms sales to [[Iran]], but escaped the [[USA|U.S.]] before apprehension. He subsequently agreed to become an informant for [[United States Customs Service|U.S. Customs]] against the [[Iran|Iranian]] exile community.[^1]
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+[[Cyrus Hashemi|Hashemi]] was used by [[Oliver North]] and [[United States Customs Service|U.S. Customs]] in a sting operation to entrap individuals connected with [[Israel|Israeli]] intelligence arms sales to [[Iran]]. He was to act as bait, claiming to have $1 billion of [[Iran|Iranian]] money to spend on weapons. He allowed his phone to be tapped and himself to be wired for this operation.[^1]
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+[[Cyrus Hashemi|Hashemi]] was found dead in his [[London]] apartment, with his death attributed to a sudden case of virulent leukemia. However, [[Israel|Israeli]] intelligence suspected foul play, noting the presence of [[Joe King]], a [[United States Customs Service|Customs]] officer, at his apartment shortly before his death and needle punctures on his elbow joint. Tapes of his phone calls to the [[USA|U.S.]] Attorney's office indicated a falling out with his controllers.[^1]
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+### Footnotes
+[^1]: Ben-Menashe, Ari. *Profits of War: Inside the Secret U.S.-Israeli Arms Network*. TrineDay, 1992. (Hereafter, "Profits of War")