Federal prosecutors have moved to hold Shamim Mafi, a 44-year-old Iranian national and US green card holder, accountable for her role in a sophisticated arms-trafficking operation. Mafi was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport while attempting to board a flight to Turkey.
According to court documents, Mafi is accused of acting as a broker for the Iranian regime, coordinating the sale of drones, bombs, and millions of rounds of ammunition to Sudan’s defense ministry.
The indictment details a €60 million drone contract and a separate deal for 55,000 bomb fuses, with Mafi allegedly submitting a letter of intent directly to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Prosecutors state that Mafi utilized informal exchange entities to move over €6 million in payments, a clear and deliberate effort to evade US sanctions that prohibit dealing in Iranian goods without authorization. If convicted, Mafi faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
This arrest exposes the lengths to which the Iranian regime will go to project its influence and fuel conflict abroad, using individuals within the United States to bypass international law.
As Sudan remains embroiled in a brutal civil war, this case highlights the regime in Tehran’s continued role in arming foreign actors and the necessity of strict enforcement of US sanctions to curb such dangerous proliferation.
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