U.S. sanctions on Iran make a number of benign transactions with Iran difficult. If you want to send, say, a chia “pet” to a relative in Tehran, you need a license, and you probably can’t get one. On the other hand, if you want to pay the Government of Iran tens of thousands of dollars to hunt, say, a Transcaspian Urial or a Laristan Mouflon in the wilds of Iran, hey, no problem!

Apparently almost a decade ago, the Office of Foreign Assets Control put aside national policy considerations to permit U.S. persons to tromp around the woods and mountains of Iran hoping to bag some rare Iranian wildlife. According to this article published today by the BBC, the government fees to kill a Transcaspian Urial are around $15,000 and for a Laristan Mouflon around $20,000. This is exclusive of fees paid to local guides.

Not only has OFAC apparently eased the sanctions to permit huge payments to Iran for wild game hunting, but it’s relatively easy to bring the dead animal, or at least parts therof, back. The Fish and Wildlife Service have said that “sport-hunted trophies” can be brought back from Iran in a traveler’s luggage but not shipped separately. Interestingly, such “trophies” can’t be brought back at all from Sudan, in case you were wondering.

Many sites, such as this one listing references from U.S. citizens, detail the prices for expeditions to Iran, including the governmental fees that must be paid. This site, clearly aimed at Americans, is somewhat cagier about mentioning that hunting in Iran requires making payments to the Government of Iran and apparently supplies information on such fees only by email in response to specific inquiries.

My point here is not so much whether hunting for the sport of killing alone is right or wrong. Rather it is this: why would OFAC have a conniption over exports by American of fingernail polish to Iran but seem to have no issue with Americans giving the government of Iran tens of thousands of dollars to hunt exotic animals?

 

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