The illegal exports, the CIE said in a statement, include components for HAWK missiles, F-14 Tomcat fighter jets, F-4 Phantom fighter jets, F-5 fighter jets, C-130 Hercules aircraft and military radars.

The statement said searches were carried out Wednesday in the offices of the 18 companies in 10 states. It said they allegedly furnished the arms components to the British company, which itself procures weapons for the Iranian military.

The CIE identified the London company as "Multicore, Ltd. (also known as) AKS Industries." The US firms were not named.

"The affidavit alleges that Multicore conducts no legitimate business and receives military purchasing instructions from the Iranian government," said the statement.

"This case illustrates one of those ways of keeping military components out of the hands of people who by law cannot possess them," said Asa Hutchinson, Undersecretary for Border Transportation Security at the Department of Homeland Security.

Iran, which Washington lists as a country that supports terrorism, is under a US weapons supply embargo.

"The lives of American warfighters can be placed at direct risk through illegal transfer of military components in violation of the Arms Export Control Act," said Joseph Schmitz, chief of the Pentagon's Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), which is participating in the investigation.

"Yesterday, ICE and DCIS agents executed search warrants on 18 businesses in 10 states, including Louisiana, Texas, New Hampshire, Colorado, New York, Florida, Kansas, Wisconsin, Oregon, and South Carolina," said the CIE statement.

"In addition, agents served seven grand jury subpoenas. Agents made no arrests during the searches. To date, no charges have been brought against the any of the US companies...The investigation continues," it said.

"The firms are suspected of violating the Arms Export Control Act," said the CIE statement.

"According to affidavits filed in support of the warrants, the firms are suspected of illegally exporting items on the US Munitions List without obtaining the required export license from the US State Department."

WAR.WIRE