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United States (US) authorities have reportedly arrested a 44-year-old Iranian woman, Shamim Mafi, on allegations of trafficking arms to Sudan in violation of American sanctions, federal prosecutors have announced.
Mafi was detained at Los Angeles International Airport on Saturday.
BBC reports that according to First Assistant US Attorney, Bill Essayli, she is accused of brokering the sale of military equipment — including drones, bombs, bomb fuses and millions of rounds of ammunition — allegedly manufactured in Iran and supplied to Sudan.
Court documents indicate the transactions were intended for Sudan’s defence ministry and included a drone deal valued at €60 million ($70 million).
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Investigators allege that Mafi facilitated payments exceeding €6 million, organised travel for a Sudanese delegation to Iran, and issued receipts linked to the transactions.
Prosecutors further claim she submitted a letter of intent to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to arrange the sale of 55,000 bomb fuses.
Mafi, who became a lawful permanent resident of the United States in 2016, has not publicly responded to the allegations.
She is expected to appear in court on Monday and faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
Authorities say she used informal financial networks across multiple transactions in what they describe as a deliberate attempt to evade US sanctions, which prohibit unauthorised dealings in Iranian goods and services.
She was reportedly preparing to board a flight to Turkey at the time of her arrest.
The case comes against the backdrop of Sudan’s ongoing civil war between the national army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, a conflict that has persisted for three years.
The United Nations has described the situation as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with tens of thousands killed and millions displaced.
International actors have been accused of fuelling the war by supplying weapons to both sides.
Amnesty International had previously reported evidence of arms from several countries, including Serbia, Russia, China, Turkey, Yemen and the United Arab Emirates, being used in the conflict.
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