Two charged over US technology used in deadly drone attack on soldiers in Jordan | news of drone attacks
An Iranian American and a Swiss Iranian have been arrested on charges of exporting sensitive US technology to Iran for use in attack drones.
An Iranian-American citizen and a Swiss Iranian have been arrested and charged by United States authorities for allegedly exporting sensitive technology to Iran that was used in a deadly drone attack on US forces based in Jordan. Had gone.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a group of Iran-backed fighters, was accused of carrying out a drone attack in January on a US military post in Jordan near the Syrian border, killing three US soldiers and wounding 47 others.
Federal prosecutors in Boston on Monday charged 38-year-old Mohammad Abedininjafabadi, known as Mohammad Abedini, co-founder of an Iranian-based company, and Mahdi Sadeghi, a 42-year-old employee of Massachusetts-based semiconductor maker Analog Devices. With conspiracy to violate US export laws.
Abedini, who has dual citizenship of Switzerland and Iran, was arrested in Milan, Italy at the request of the US government, which will seek his extradition. Sadeghi, an Iranian-born American citizen who lives in Natick, Massachusetts, was also arrested.
U.S. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said, “Today, working with our partners here and abroad, we have charged and arrested two individuals who attempted to circumvent U.S. sanctions and provide the Iranian government with information that was used in that attack.” “Conspired to supply drone navigation technology to India.” a statement.
Joshua Levy, the top federal prosecutor in Massachusetts, said the FBI had traced the sophisticated navigation equipment used in the drones to Abedini’s Iranian company, SDRA, which manufactured the navigation system.
Abedini used a Swiss company to purchase American technologies from Sadeghi’s employer, Levy said, including accelerometers and gyroscopes, which were then sent to Iran.
The US Justice Department said in a statement that on several occasions since 2016, Sadeghi had helped Abedini procure US export-controlled electric components.
During a brief court hearing, Sadeghi was ordered detained until his next hearing after the prosecutor described him as a flight risk. His court-appointed lawyer did not respond to requests for comment.
Abedini’s lawyer could not be identified.
Court papers do not name Sadeghi’s employer, but Analog Devices confirmed in a statement that he worked for the company.
Analog Devices said it was cooperating with law enforcement and “is committed to preventing unauthorized access to and misuse of our products and technology”.
The US Justice Department said the prosecution of both individuals was coordinated through the US government’s Disruptive Technology Strike Force, an inter-agency force that focuses on “illicit actors” and the transfer of sensitive technology to “hostile nation states”. Protects supply chains to prevent them from being acquired by ,
