The US Department of Commerce has added 37 businesses to its list of entities working against US foreign policy or national security interests, three of which are registered in Georgia.

The three firms added to the US trade restriction list are Gensis Engineering, ROV Solutions, and SAEROS Safety ERO, according to a document dated December 16, 2021. These firms have supplied or attempted to supply US-origin products that would "ultimately offer material support to Iran's defence industry, in violation of US export prohibitions," according to the Department of Commerce paper.

According to the most recent data from Georgia's Public Registry, ROV Solutions was founded on August 6, 2012, and Levan Kotiashvili owns 100% of the company, with Irakli Kotiashvili serving as the firm's director. The corporation is active in import and export activities, according to the DJVU data published at Public Registry.

The firm SAEROS Safety ERO was founded on November 25, 2013, and according to the most recent documents, Nino Julakidze owns 100% of the company, with Iraki Kotiashvili serving as the director. The firm is involved in "all operations not prohibited by law," according to the same records.

The Commerce lists Ioseliani Street in Tbilisi as the location of Gensis Engineering's registration, but the latter cannot be found in the Georgian Public Registry, perhaps indicating that the corporation is not registered under the same name as stated in the US paperwork. ROV Solutions has an alternate address in Hong Kong, while Gensis Engineering has an alternate location in Istanbul, Turkey, according to the same document. These two firms were included in the Commerce Department's China and Turkey sections, as well as the Georgia department.

The proprietors of the three enterprises are members of the same family, according to Giorgi Noniashvili of the European Georgia party. He said that no other information on them could be found, which "raises issues." On December 17, the Voice of America's Georgian-language station announced that Nino Julakidze and Levan Kotiashvili, the proprietors of ROV Solutions SAEROS Safety ERO, are married. In the meanwhile, their son serves as the director of both enterprises. Gensis Engineering, according to the article, is situated in Istanbul and has ties to the Kotiashvili family.

Kotiashvili is also a key specialist at Georgia's state-owned State Military Scientific-Technical Centre Delta, which is run by the Defence Ministry, according to the article.

Kotiashvili admitted that his business partner in the three firms was an Iranian national but claimed that he had only worked with the individual on one project with him in Georgia in 2013 on importing computer accessories.

He disputed that his Iranian partner's interest in working with him was tied to his employment at STC Delta, claiming that they joined up before he started working there. Although Kotiashvili denied providing Iranian defence firms in violation of US export rules, he did admit that his Iranian partner "may have conceivably done anything with these enterprises without me."

Delta is a Georgian state-owned armaments factory that produces armoured vehicles and artillery, among other things.