Two individuals have been charged in connection with the export of sensitive U.S. technology to Iran, which was subsequently used in a deadly drone attack on American soldiers stationed in Jordan. The attack, occurring on January 28, 2024, targeted a U.S. outpost known as Tower 22 near the Syrian border, resulting in the deaths of three U.S. service members and injuries to 47 others.
REUTERS
The accused are Mahdi Mohammad Sadeghi, a dual Iranian-American citizen employed at a semiconductor company in Massachusetts, and Mohammad Abedininajafabadi, also known as Adedini, who has deep connections to the Iranian government. Sadeghi was arrested in Massachusetts, while Abedininajafabadi was apprehended in Italy, with extradition proceedings underway to bring him to the United States.
AP NEWS
According to U.S. prosecutors, the two men conspired to circumvent American export control laws by funneling sensitive technology to Iran. This included the creation of a front company in Switzerland to facilitate the illegal exports. The technology in question was traced by FBI specialists to an Iranian company operated by Sadeghi, which manufactured navigation systems for Iran’s military drone program.
AP NEWS
The drone attack on Tower 22 was attributed to the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iranian-backed militias, including Kataib Hezbollah. The attack marked the first deadly strike against U.S. forces in the region since the onset of the Israel-Hamas war. In response, the U.S. launched retaliatory strikes against multiple sites in Iraq and Syria used by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and affiliated militias.
AP NEWS
The charges against Sadeghi and Abedininajafabadi include violations of export control laws and, in Abedininajafabadi’s case, conspiring to provide material support to Iran. U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy emphasized the tangible risks posed by the illegal export of American technology, stating, “We often cite hypothetical risk when we talk about the dangers of American technology getting into dangerous hands. Unfortunately, in this situation, we are not spec … .”
AP NEWS
This case underscores the ongoing challenges faced by the U.S. in preventing the proliferation of sensitive technologies to adversarial nations and non-stat
e actors.