ORANGE COUNTY

Newport Firm Hit With Export Ban: The U.S. Department of Commerce temporarily barred a Newport Beach firm and its two principals from any export activity. The order bans Reza (Ray) Amiri, an Iranian national; his company, Ray Amiri Computer Consultants, and its manager, Mohammad (Don) Danesh, from exporting any goods from the United States for a 180-day period that began Tuesday. Amiri and Danesh were arrested Aug. 28 on charges of illegal exports to Iran of electronic testing and measuring equipment that could be used to develop missile guidance systems and nuclear weapons. They were indicted in federal court in Los Angeles in September and charged with 17 counts of violating U.S. export regulations. The case is expected to go to trial in February.