Man arrested in Germany over illegal shipments for Iran’s nuclear programme

German police have arrested a German-Iranian man suspected of exporting equipment to be used in Iran’s nuclear and missile programmes.

The suspect, identified only as Alexander J, shipped equipment worth €1.1 million to an Iranian, whose company in Iran was blacklisted by the EU, Germany’s federal prosecutor said on Tuesday.

His business was said to be proscribed because it was a front to procure equipment for nuclear and rocket programmes, in breach of European Union sanctions.

Police searched 11 places, including apartments and offices in the states of Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein and North Rhine-Westphalia linked to the suspect, the prosecutor said.

The general prosecutor’s office said the suspect had been approached in 2018 and 2019 to procure laboratory equipment.

He shipped two spectrometers procured for €166,000 ($196,510) to Iran in January 2020, and six months later shipped another two, procured for €388,000.

He did not apply for the special export licence required to ship such equipment to a recipient on the EU blacklist.

Western countries have long accused Iran of seeking nuclear weapons, a charge Tehran denies. In 2015, Iran signed a deal with global powers to curb its nuclear programme in return for the lifting of international sanctions.

US President Donald Trump withdrew from the deal, and Iran responded by breaching some of its terms. Negotiations have been held this year to revive the agreement.

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What is Folia?

Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.

Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."

Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.

In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love".

There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.

While health-conscious diners will be attracted to the concept, Prince Khaled is careful to stress Folia is "not meant for a specific subset of customers. It is meant for everyone who wants a culinary experience without the negative impact that eating out so often comes with."