An Iranian-American and a Swiss Iranian have been arrested and charged by US authorities for allegedly exporting sensitive American technology to Iran, which was reportedly used in a deadly drone attack on US forces in Jordan.
The attack, attributed to Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a coalition of Iran-backed militants, resulted in the deaths of three US soldiers and injuries to 47 others at a US military base near the Syrian border in January.
On Monday, prosecutors in Boston announced charges against 38-year-old Mohammad Abedininajafabadi, known as Mohammad Abedini, who co-founded an Iranian company, and 42-year-old Mahdi Sadeghi, an employee at Analog Devices, a semiconductor manufacturer based in Massachusetts. Both men are accused of conspiring to violate US export controls.
Abedini, a dual Swiss-Iranian citizen, was arrested in Milan, Italy, at the request of the US government, which is seeking his extradition. Sadeghi, an Iranian-born naturalized US citizen, was arrested in Massachusetts.
US Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco commented: "Today, working with our partners both at home and abroad, we have charged and arrested two men who conspired to bypass US sanctions and supply the Iranian government with drone navigation technology used in this attack."
Federal prosecutor Joshua Levy explained that the FBI had traced the advanced navigation system in the drone to Abedini's Iranian company, SDRA, which manufactured the equipment. Abedini allegedly used a Swiss-based company to acquire US-made technologies, including accelerometers and gyroscopes, from Sadeghi’s employer, which were then sent to Iran.
According to the US Justice Department, Sadeghi had assisted Abedini in procuring these export-controlled electronic components since 2016.
In a brief court appearance, Sadeghi was ordered held in detention pending a future hearing after being deemed a flight risk. His lawyer declined to comment. Abedini’s lawyer has not yet been identified.
Analog Devices confirmed that Sadeghi worked for the company and stated it was fully cooperating with law enforcement. The company added that it is “committed to preventing unauthorised access to and misuse of our products and technology.”
The US Justice Department also revealed that the prosecution of both men was coordinated by the Disruptive Technology Strike Force, an interagency team dedicated to preventing sensitive technology from being acquired by hostile nations and safeguarding US supply chains.
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