Manhattan skyscraper secretly owned by Iran to be seized by US for money-laundering

 The United States has decided to seize a Manhattan skyscraper, which according to the prosecutors is secretly owned and controlled by the Iranian government.

According to the US attorney, Preet Bharara, the seizure and sale of the property would be the government's largest-ever terrorism-related forfeiture, CNN reports. The 36-story tower located on Fifth Avenue in New York City is home to a number of corporate tenants, the report added. A federal judge authorized its seizure in a ruling following revelations that the building's owners had violated federal money laundering laws and sanctions against Iran.

The property’s 60% ownership is presently under the non-profit organisation that constructed the building in 1970’s, now called the Alavi Foundation, and 40% is owned by Assa Corporation. Prosecutors said Assa Corporation is a bank owned and controlled by the Iranian government, which also is alleged to control the Alavi Foundation.

According to the report, the co-owners have allegedly been transferring rental income back to Tehran.