On November 12, 2009 the United States Department of Justice reported that the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York filed an amended complaint in United States v. Assa Corp., docket no. 08-10934. The amended complaint seeks the complete forfeiture of all assets belonging to Assa Corp. and the Alavi Foundation. Assets are reported to include several bank accounts, a 36-story high-rise in Manhattan, and a number of other properties throughout the United States including four places of worship.

According to the Alavi Foundation website, the foundation is a charitable organization which promotes Islamic education and culture through academic grants and scholarships. Assa Corp. is a subsidiary of Assa Co. Ltd.; an entity which, the amended complaint alleges, represents the interests of Iranian board members in the nationalized Bank Melli Iran.

The amended complaint relies on evidence which suggests that both Assa Corp. and the Alavi Foundation provide illicit financial services for Bank Melli Iran and the Iranian government including but not limited to, managing assets and income in the Manhattan building and running a charitable organization for Iran, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The United States argues that because neither the Alavi Foundation nor Assa Corp. ever applied for a license from the Department of the Treasury, providing any financial services to Bank Melli or the Government of Iran violates the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).

On November 15, 2009 the government of Iran condemned the U.S. move, calling the action a disgrace, the Washington Post wrote. -- Laura P. Valle, Legal Assistant, Berliner Corcoran & Rowe, LLP, Washington D.C.