️ The US Department of Justice announced that an Iranian national, Shamim Mafi, was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport on suspicion of brokering arms sales to Sudan on behalf of Tehran. The 44-year-old is charged with facilitating the sale of Iranian-manufactured drones, bombs, bomb fuses, and millions of rounds of ammunition to Sudanese authorities.
️ US Attorney Bill Essayli stated that Mafi, a lawful permanent resident since 2016 living in the Woodland Hills suburb of Los Angeles, was taken into custody on Saturday. If convicted, she faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. Images released by authorities show Mafi surrounded by federal agents at the airport, along with photos of a large drone, identification documents, and bundles of cash.
️ Court documents allege that Mafi and an unnamed coconspirator operated through a company called Atlas International Business based in Oman, which trafficked weapons and ammunition, receiving over $7 million in payments in 2025. Separately, they brokered the sale of 55,000 bomb fuses to Sudan's Ministry of Defence. The criminal complaint notes that Mafi submitted a letter of intent to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to purchase the fuses for Sudan.
️ The United Nations recently warned that Sudan risks slipping into "full-scale famine and collapse" as the war between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) enters its fourth year. Denise Brown, the UN head in Sudan, told AFP that the country faces the world's largest humanitarian crisis, with weapons from external sources partly to blame. The UN has repeatedly called on foreign powers to stop fueling the conflict but has not accused specific states.
️ In the Sudanese conflict, the army has been backed by Egypt and Saudi Arabia and has deployed Turkish- and Iranian-made drones. However, most blame has been directed at the United Arab Emirates, which denies evidence that it has funneled arms to the RSF, accused of genocide. The arrest highlights the complex international dimensions of the war, with external support allegedly prolonging the violence and humanitarian disaster.
Source: www.aljazeera.com