Iranian woman arrested in US for allegedly trafficking arms to Sudan

Shamim Mafi is accused of brokering the sales of arms to Sudan's defence ministry on behalf of Iran. Iranian woman arrested in US for allegedly trafficking arms to Sudan Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. A soldier in military uniform and holding a gun, walks on a street, with several damaged cars in front of him The arms were allegedly sold to the Sudanese army A Sudanese soldier holding a gun walks on a street with his back to the camera, with several damaged cars in front of him US authorities have arrested an Iranian woman for trafficking arms to Sudan on behalf of her country, federal prosecutors have said. Shamim Mafi, 44, was arrested at Los Angeles airport on Saturday and is accused of "brokering the sale of drones, bombs, bomb fuses, and millions of rounds of ammunition manufactured by Iran and sold to Sudan", First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli said on X. The alleged sales were to Sudan's defence ministry, including a €60m ($70m; £52m) drone contract, court documents show. Mafi, who has not yet commented on the allegations, is expected to appear in court later on Monday. If convicted, she could face a jail sentence of up to 20 years. An FBI criminal complaint filed in court, a copy of which was obtained by the BBC, says Mafi coordinated a "Sudanese delegation's travel to Iran, received over €6m in payments, and issued payment receipts" for the drone deal. She submitted "a letter of intent" to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to broker the sale of 55,000 bomb fuses to Sudan's defence ministry, it adds. According to Essayli, Mafi is "an Iranian national who became a lawful permanent resident of the United States in 2016". Displaced women rest, one seen with her head resting on her hand, in the town of Tawila after fleeing el-Fasher following the city's fall to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) - October 2025. A simple guide to what is happening in Sudan She is accused of breaching US sanctions against Iran, which prohibit US persons from transacting or dealing in Iranian goods or services without authorisation. Court documents describe her "repeated use of informal exchange entities across multiple transactions" in the arms deals as a "deliberate effort... to evade US sanctions". She is said to have been ready to board a flight from California to Turkey when she was arrested. Essayli's post included images of a woman presumed to be Mafi surrounded by security agents at an airport, a drone on tarmac and bundles of cash. Sudan has been engulfed in a devastating civil war between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces for the past three years. The war has resulted in the world's worst humanitarian crisis, according to the UN, with tens of thousands of people killed, and millions displaced. Foreign powers have been accused of backing both sides and providing ammunition, further fuelling the conflict. Rights group Amnesty International previously said it had found evidence of weapons manufactured in Serbia, Russia, China, Turkey, Yemen and UAE being used in Sudan. Iran has also been accused of supporting Sudan's army with weapons in the past, although Sudan denied it. also been accused of supporting Sudan's army with weapons in the past, although Sudan denied it. Additional reporting by Barbara Plett Usher. 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