UANI Calls on GM to End Partnership with Peugeot, Given New Auto Figures Showing that Peugeot Cars are Still being Produced in Iran

News Release from UANI, New York, NY May 1, 2013

On Tuesday, United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) CEO, Ambassador Mark D. Wallace, issued the following statement regarding newly-released Iranian auto figures, which show that tens of thousands of Peugeot-branded vehicles are still being produced in Iran, including 203,639 during the Persian calendar year that ended March 20, and 16,680 in the most recent month alone:

Once again, we see evidence that GM's partner Peugeot continues to do business in Iran, despite claims by GM and Peugeot that such business has been suspended. This is wholly unacceptable: last month, GM contacted UANI, and stated that "to our knowledge, Peugeot is not doing business in or with Iran."

Given industry data from Iran that shows otherwise, GM must stop the excuses and either take action to end Peugeot's business in Iran, or terminate the GM-Peugeot relationship. The GM-Peugeot partnership is especially troubling considering the taxpayer-funded $50 billion bailout of GM and the fact that the U.S. government still owns 241.7 million shares of GM stock.

Peugeot has not ended its business in Iran: thousands of its vehicles are still being produced there each month by Iranian state-controlled enterprises. GM, which is currently co-owned by U.S. taxpayers, cannot continue to financially partner with a company aligned with a regime that is illegally building nuclear weapons, sponsoring terrorists, and killing U.S. troops.

Last month, GM's Senior Vice President and General Counsel contacted UANI, and stated that:

The media statements we have made regarding Peugeot's business activities in Iran are based on what we have been told by Peugeot. Based on the information we have, we do not consider the statements to be inaccurate, as you have characterized them. We consider them to be an accurate characterization of the information we have received from Peugeot on the matter.

UANI has been calling on GM and Peugeot to leave Iran since launching the Auto Campaign in March 2012. Since then, UANI has announced the withdrawals of Hyundai, Fiat, Maserati, Lamborghini, Porsche, and Kia.

On June 13, 2012, the Detroit News printed an Op-Ed by Ambassador Wallace, "Why is U.S.-owned GM partnering with company that does business with Iran?,"

"The GM-Peugeot partnership seems to run afoul of U.S. sanctions," wrote Ambassador Wallace, "and it should be investigated." He called on GM and Peugeot "to take the responsible action of evaluating Peugeot's business in Iran, and putting a complete and final end to it."

Last year, Ambassador Wallace testified about Iran's automotive industry before the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee. Ambassador Wallace stated to Congress that: "Peugeot right now is a major actor in Iran, a major manufacturer inside Iran in direct partnership with the IRGC."

UANI has developed model legislation, the DRIVE Act, to force auto manufacturers to choose between American taxpayers and the regime. The DRIVE Act requires automakers to certify they are not engaged in any business in Iran, or engaged in the implementation of any agreement with Iranian entities in order to be eligible for U.S. government contracts or financial assistance.

Click here to view the latest Iranian auto figures.

Click here to send a message to Peugeot and GM.

Click here to read Ambassador Wallace's Detroit News Op-Ed, "Why is U.S.-owned GM partnering with company that does business with Iran?"

Click here to read the Daily Caller Op-Ed by UANI CEO, Ambassador Mark D. Wallace, and Congressman Tim Griffin: "The US can do more to pressure auto companies to sever ties with Iran."

Click here to read UANI's March 9, 2012 letter to GM.

Click here to visit UANI's Auto Campaign page.

Click here to read UANI's DRIVE Act legislation.

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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.