Huawei heads to trial in US over its business dealings in Iran

Chinese technology giant Huawei is heading to trial in a US federal court in Brooklyn, New York, eight years after being secretly charged with defrauding HSBC and other banks over its business dealings in Iran. Jury selection began on Tuesday for the trial, which is expected to last approximately three months. Huawei faces charges including violating US sanctions against Iran, money laundering, racketeering, wire fraud, and obstruction, as well as conspiring to steal trade secrets from five US technology companies. The company is also accused of lying about its dealings in North Korea and supplying surveillance equipment to Iran. Huawei has pleaded not guilty to all charges, with a spokesperson stating, "The government's overarching narrative is demonstrably false." The case, which began with the 2018 arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou, is seen by Beijing as an effort to undermine China's technological rise. If convicted, Huawei could face significant financial penalties, potentially ranging from hundreds of millions to billions of dollars.