The Lebanese terrorist movement Hezbollah fired a drone at Israel on Sunday that contained technology from the German company 3W-International, according to video footage obtained of the fired aerial device that landed near Kibbutz Dan.
“Before Hezbollah’s reprisal against Israel this weekend, 3W was already on notice that its parts have wound up in drones from Iran’s proxy and partner network,” Jason Brodsky, the policy director for the US-based think tank United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), told i24NEWS. “Downed Houthi drones have also featured 3W parts. There needs to be better due diligence and export restrictions on these parts coming from Europe. Knowing your customer’s customer is absolutely vital.”
1/4 Nir Eylon, ein Mitglied des Kibbuz Dan im Norden Israels, wird heute Morgen von Sirenen geweckt und sieht, wie eine Drohne, die von der Hisbollah aus dem Libanon abgefeuert wurde, über seinem Haus fliegt. Nachdem die Drohne explodiert ist, fährt er zum Explosionsort und pic.twitter.com/Ug6B9gmaS1
— Antonia Yamin אנטוניה ימין (@antonia_yamin) August 25, 2024
When approached for comment by i24NEWS, Kai Weinhold, the managing director for the firm 3W Professional GmbH, said that the company “did not sell any motors or technology to Iran or Hezbollah,” but that “the engine shown in the pictures looks like an engine manufactured by 3W Professional GmbH. Without knowing the serial number of the engine, I can’t say this with absolute certainty.”
“It is terrible that our engines appear to be being used by terrorist organizations for such acts,” he added. “Unfortunately, we cannot control the resale of our products and cannot protect ourselves against them being resold for terrorist and criminal purposes. Our engines pose no danger unless they are abused to do such terrible things.”
No comment
However, UANI put 3W on notice in 2020 about the engineering firm’s alleged unsavory business practices. In a letter sent to Ute Weinhold, the Managing Director of 3W-Modellmotoren Weinhold GmbH, in February 2020, UANI asked for detailed information about 3W’s “sale of products which are reportedly being used by terrorist proxies of the Islamic Republic of Iran.” Weinhold refused to respond at the time.
When confronted by i24NEWS about the UANI letter, Kai Weinhold refused to comment.
UANI wrote at the time that “On February 19, 2020, Conflict Armament Research (‘CAR’) published a report citing what appear to be 3W components made in the manufacture of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (‘UAVs’) by the Iran-backed Houthi forces (a.k.a. Ansar Allah (Partisans of God)). The Houthis are a Shiite militarized force in Yemen sponsored by the Iranian regime known for virulent antisemitic and anti-U.S. rhetoric and the targeting of U.S. citizens, including the kidnapping of four Americans in May 2015. On April 14, 2015, the U.S. Department of the Treasury designated Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi as a Specially Designated National.”
According to the CAR report, “A significant number of Houthi UAV components either originated in Iran, or match those used by factions in the region that are linked to Iran.”
The CAR report noted: “The most significant distinctive features of the Sammad-pattern UAV are its shape and its engine. It uses a 3W-110i B2 engine, manufactured by 3W-Modellmotoren Weinhold GmbH (3W) in Hanau, Germany. CAR contacted 3W, which stated that due to insufficient information, the company was unable to confirm the engine’s supply chain.”
“We’ve been supplying the aeromodelling sport with high-quality 2-stroke engines made in Germany for over 35 years,” 3W’s website said.
German-made, used by Iran
German companies and banks continue to conduct major business deals with Iran’s regime, including the delivery of dual-use technology that can be used for military and civilian purposes.
In 2018, Germany became embroiled in a chemical weapons scandal, in which a German company sold technology to Iranian regime businessmen.
According to a 2018 Fox News Digital report, “Construction material from the Stuttgart region-based Krempel Group was found in Iranian rockets used in two chemical attacks on Syrian civilians. The poison gas attacks injured 24 people. Germany’s Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control (Bafa) defended the sales to Iran because the material was not classified as dual-use merchandise that can be applied for military purposes.”
Robert Säverin, a spokesman for the German economics ministry, told i24NEWS that “The images show the wreckage of Hezbollah drones that were used from Lebanon against Israel and are said to contain components from a German company. The Federal Government condemns Hezbollah’s attack on Israel in the strongest terms and takes indications of possible supplies of weapons used by Hezbollah against Israel very seriously.”
Säverin added that “The state criminal investigation authorities are responsible for checking such indications of possible sanctions or export control violations. For the protection of this investigation, no further information can be provided.”
Tim Chmella, a spokesman for the Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control, known by its German acronym BAFA, told i24NEWS that “The state criminal investigation authorities are responsible for checking such indications of possible sanctions or export control violations. For the protection of this investigation, no further information can be provided.”
The German state of Baden-Württemberg enables banks and engineering companies to conduct business deals with Iran. The Green Party governor of the state, Winfried Kretschmann, and the commissioner tasked with fighting antisemitism, Michael Blume, have showed no appetite to stop the state’s robust trade with the Islamic Republic of Iran—the world’s worst state-sponsor of terrorism and antisemitism, according the US government.
i24NEWS reported last month the calls for Blume to be fired because he reportedly stokes antisemitism.
Martin Horn, mayor of the university town of Freiburg in Baden-Württemberg, has defied calls, according to an April i24NEWS report, from Iranian dissidents to end his city’s partnership with the Iranian regime in the city of Isfahan.
Source » i24news