( CNN ) -- An Israeli business tycoon whose company was cited by the U.S. State Department for allegedly having trade relations with Iran has died . Sammy Ofer died Friday after battling an illness , his representatives said . He was 89 . Ofer 's company , Tanker Pacific , recently was named by the State Department as one of seven companies who were involved in trade with Iran , thereby breaching international restrictions imposed as part of an effort to suppress Tehran 's nuclear program . Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg said Ofer 's company is on the list of businesses `` engaged in activities related to the supply of refined petroleum products in Iran . '' Ofer 's company publicly denied the accusations and referred to them as a possible `` misunderstanding . '' `` We are acting together with Israeli officials and our advisors in Washington to remove our name from the list of sanctioned companies ... the company does not have any dealings , business or otherwise , with anyone that violates this embargo , '' the company said in a statement released last week . The revelation set off a public controversy in Israel , with questions being raised about what dealings the company had with Iran and what the Israeli government knew about such activities . Members of the Ofer family have argued this week that they have acted under the authority of the state of Israel , a claim that was bluntly denied by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu . `` We did not approve any docking or unloading of commodities in Iran . Israel has a very clear policy with regard to Iran and no sort of relations with it are allowed , '' Netanyahu said Monday . A Knesset hearing into the matter earlier this week was canceled just as it was beginning under unusual circumstances when the chairmen of the committee , Carmel Shama , ended the session immediately upon receiving a personal note . Shama did not disclose the identity of the writer but said `` it did not come from a political or from a business-related source . ''
Sammy Ofer was arrested . One of his companies was recently accused of having ties with Iran . The ties with Iran breached international law , they allege .