Iranian ties from MTN, a telecommunications company chaired by a new envoy to the US in South Africa, could have a reputational impact on meta and other companies as MTN is under scrutiny.
Recently appointed in place of ejected ambassador Ebrahim Lasor, Jonas is a former finance minister considered to be one of the few ruling parties to tackle corruption in South Africa.
However, as reported by Breitbart News and others, Jonas is also chairing MTN. Litigation It is insisting on Iran’s support for terrorism in the eastern part of New York.
The complaints also cite other controversial companies, including ZTE and Huawei. Both have been criticised for its relationship with China and its potential use in surveillance over the US and its allies.
A federal judge on Tuesday determined that a group of American plaintiffs, including members of the Goldstar family whose relatives lost their lives in Iraq while serving in the US military, will be permitted to proceed with discoveries about MTN operations in Iraq, allegedly linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard (IRGC).
MTN Group’s link to Iran is in the legal and media spotlight, which puts risks in US companies.
For example, MTN announcement A new partnership with Facebook’s parent company Meta: “Improve the quality of voice and video calls on real-time communication platforms, including WhatsApp.”
Commentator Michael Walsh frequently writes about issues in Africa; I said Tuesday:
In the coming days, Meta will need to answer questions about why she chose to join a strategic partnership with South African companies that maintain a critical link with US strategic adversaries. It doesn’t seem that Meta was unaware of the maximum pressure campaign being unfolded against Iran by the US government. No matter how it responds, this development poses a great risk to meta shareholders. It also raises serious questions about the due diligence of other US companies operating in South Africa (such as Microsoft).
A Meta spokesman told Breitbart News on Wednesday that its partnership with MTN would only extend to the African market, and that Meta did not function with MTN’s Iranian subsidiary.
In a statement, Meta said: “Like many other American companies, we are working with MTN Group, Africa’s largest mobile provider. META has commercial ties with MTN’s Iranian subsidiary, and work with MTN explicitly excludes Iran.”
A Meta spokesman also said that Meta is not one of the US companies working with telecommunications company MTN Group. Others include Microsoft, MasterCard, Accenture, and Genesys.
In particular, the Iranian regime has banned Facebook and Instagram, among other US social media companies.
Nevertheless, US companies face risks by implementing joint ventures with the MTN Group, Walsh noted. He also observed that Jonas’ choice by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa could complicate their relationship with the United States rather than repairing them.
Joel B. Pollack is a senior editor at Breitbart News; Breitbart News Sunday Sirius XM Patriot will be available Sundays from 7pm to 10pm (4pm to 7pm). He is the author of Agenda: What Trump Should Do in His First 100 Daysyou can pre-order on Amazon. He is also the author Trump’s Virtue: Lessons and Legacy of President Donald TrumpIt is now available on Audible. He is the winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter @joelpollak.
