11 Facts About Jamshid Hashemi

Jamshid Hashemi was an Iranian-born trader in arms and other commodities convicted of fraud in the UK in 1999.

Hashemi and his brother Cyrus Hashemi played a role in the 1980 October Surprise affair and in the mid-1980s Iran-Contra affair.

Hashemi and his brother Cyrus Hashemi supported the 1979 Iranian Revolution, and Jamshid was appointed to oversee the national radio network, where he worked with Mehdi Karroubi's brother Hassan.

Hashemi and his brother Cyrus Hashemi went on to play a role in the 1980 October Surprise affair and in the Iran-Contra affair.

Towards the end of 1980 Jamshid Hashemi was approached by a contact on behalf of the Iranian Air Force in regards to acquiring aircraft spare parts.

Jamshid Hashemi shipped millions of dollars' worth of spare parts and related goods to Iran, with billing handled via a London office.

Jamshid Hashemi broke off the relationship in 1993 after the UK Government refused to issue him a British passport.

In July 1997 Jamshid Hashemi was arrested in Dublin whilst travelling to the US for a second triple heart bypass.

Jamshid Hashemi was released in February 1999, having pleaded guilty to three fraud charges and one of using a false passport, while four charges were dropped to avoid UK security matters being aired in open court.

The judge noted that the three-year sentence would have been longer had Jamshid Hashemi not had a record of supplying "valuable information" to MI6, as attested in court by Jamshid Hashemi's anonymous case officers.

Jamshid Hashemi's victims included the US trading firm Octagon, which at the time of the 1994 deal was listed on the NASDAQ.