Monday, April 26, 2010

Ernst and Young and PWC Join KPMG in Declaring Themselves Free of Iran Business Ties


























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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 26, 2010
Contact: Kimmie Lipscomb, press@uani.com
Phone: (212) 554-3296













Ernst and Young and PWC Join KPMG in Declaring Themselves Free of Iran Business Ties.
UANI Calls on all Public Companies to Disclose Iran Business in Regulatory Filings.





New York, NY -

Ernst and Young and PWC have declared that they no
longer maintain business relationships with Iranian firms. Their statements follow KPMG's laudable decision to cease all accounting activities with affiliates in Iran. These decisions have changed the risk
equation for all public companies. UANI
calls on all public companies to disclose their Iran business in their
regulatory filings to ensure compliance with the U.S. Securities laws.

Commenting on the Ernst and Young and PWC response UANI
President Ambassador Mark D. Wallace said:



Now that the world's leading auditors have made clear that
doing business in Iran is too great a risk, no responsible company should work
in Iran. All public companies must
disclose any and all business activities, including through foreign
subsidiaries, in this dangerous country.

In a letter dated April 7, 2010, UANI called on PWC to
clarify its relationship with one of Iran's largest accounting firms, Agahan
& Co. PWC listed Agahan & Co.
on PWC's website as a "cooperating firm" with offices located in Iran.

In response PWC wrote that:



At one time, the Middle East member firm of the PWC network
had a cooperating firm relationship with Agahan & Co. However, that relationship expired last year
and has not been renewed...In any event, neither PWCIL nor any PWC member firm
currently has a cooperating firm relationship with Agahan & Co...Please note that the link to the PWC website
included on the UANI website is to an out-of-date webpage. The correct and current list of offices on
the PWC website does not include any mention of Agahan & Co. or Iran...We
have removed the outdated link to which you cite, as it is inaccurate, and we
appreciate your bringing this inaccuracy to our attention...PWCIL [and PWC US]
does not maintain an office or other business presence in Iran, has no
relationship with Agahan & Co., and does no business in Iran.

In a letter dated April 7, 2010 UANI called on Ernst and Young to clarify its relationship with one of Iran's largest accounting firms, Tadvin
Co./Tadvin Management Consultants ("Tadvin"). Ernst and Young's website listed
Tadvin as Ernst and Young's Iran based affiliate.

In response Ernst and Young wrote that it:



[E]rroneously listed this firm in an outdated 'Members and
Affiliates' list previously posted on our web site, EY.com. In reality, Tadvin ceased to be a member in
2001. This list was corrected and
replaced in February 2010...For the avoidance of doubt, Ernst and Young does
not have an office, member firm or affiliate in Iran.

UANI thanked Ernst and Young and PWC for their responses and
clarifications.

Click here to read the New York Times' coverage of this announcement.

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United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) is a program of the American Coalition Against Nuclear Iran, Inc., a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

The prospect of a nuclear-armed Iran should concern every American and be unacceptable to the community of nations. Since 1979 the Iranian regime, most recently under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's leadership, has demonstrated increasingly threatening behavior and rhetoric toward the US and the West. Iran continues to defy the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the United Nations in their attempts to monitor its nuclear activities. A number of Arab states have warned that Iran's development of nuclear weapons poses a threat to Middle East stability and could provoke a regional nuclear arms race. In short, the prospect of a nuclear armed Iran is a danger to world peace.

United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) is a non-partisan, broad-based coalition that is united in a commitment to prevent Iran from fulfilling its ambition to become a regional super-power possessing nuclear weapons. UANI is an issue-based coalition in which each coalition member will have its own interests as well as the collective goal of advancing an Iran free of nuclear weapons.


The Objectives of United Against a Nuclear Iran


  1. Inform the public about the nature of the Iranian regime, including its desire and intent to possess nuclear weapons, as well as Iran's role as a state sponsor of global terrorism, and a major violator of human rights at home and abroad;
  2. Heighten awareness nationally and internationally about the danger that a nuclear armed Iran poses to the region and the world;
  3. Mobilize public support, utilize media outreach, and persuade our elected leaders to voice a robust and united American opposition to a nuclear Iran;
  4. Lay the groundwork for effective US policies in coordination with European and other allies;
  5. Persuade the regime in Tehran to desist from its quest for nuclear weapons, while striving not to punish the Iranian people, and;
  6. Promote efforts that focus on vigorous national and international, social, economic, political and diplomatic measures.
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