US authorities have arrested an Iranian woman accused of orchestrating illegal arms deals to Sudan in violation of sanctions, prosecutors announced.
Shamim Mafi, 44, a US green card holder, was detained at Los Angeles International Airport while allegedly attempting to board a flight to Turkey. According to officials, she is suspected of arranging the sale of drones, bombs, bomb components, and millions of rounds of ammunition produced in Iran and supplied to Sudan’s defence ministry.
Prosecutors say the deals included a drone contract worth approximately $70 million. An FBI complaint alleges Mafi coordinated travel for a Sudanese delegation to Iran, handled payments exceeding €6 million, and issued receipts tied to the transactions.
She is also accused of submitting a proposal to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to broker the sale of tens of thousands of bomb fuses. Authorities claim she used informal financial networks to move money in an effort to bypass US sanctions.
Mafi is expected to appear in court soon and could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted. She has not yet publicly responded to the allegations.
Conflict backdrop
The case comes amid Sudan’s ongoing civil war between government forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, a conflict that has created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. Tens of thousands have been killed and millions displaced.
International actors have been accused of supplying weapons to both sides, further intensifying the fighting. Past investigations have linked arms used in the conflict to multiple countries, while Iran has faced allegations of supporting Sudan’s military, claims that have been denied.
Analysts say the case sheds light on the opaque global arms trade, where countries engaged in conflict often rely on informal networks and intermediaries to secure weapons.
