US Arrests Iranian Woman Over Alleged Sudan Arms Trafficking

US authorities arrest Iranian woman accused of brokering drones, bombs and ammunition sales to Sudan in sanctions breach case.

US authorities arrested an Iranian woman at Los Angeles International Airport over allegations she brokered arms deals to Sudan in violation of American sanctions, prosecutors said.

Shamim Mafi, 44, a lawful permanent resident of the United States, was detained on Saturday while preparing to board a flight to Turkey. Prosecutors accused her of arranging the sale of military equipment, including drones, bombs, bomb fuses and millions of rounds of ammunition manufactured in Iran and supplied to Sudan.

First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli said Mafi brokered the deals on behalf of Iran, including a €60 million drone contract with Sudan’s defence ministry, according to court filings. Authorities said the transactions violated US sanctions that bar American residents from engaging in trade involving Iranian goods or services without official authorisation.

According to an FBI criminal complaint, Mafi facilitated a Sudanese delegation’s travel to Iran, received more than €6 million in payments and issued receipts linked to the drone agreement. Investigators also said she submitted a letter of intent to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to arrange the sale of 55,000 bomb fuses to Sudan.

Court documents alleged she used informal financial networks across multiple transactions in what prosecutors described as a deliberate effort to evade US sanctions. She has not publicly responded to the allegations and is expected to appear in court. If convicted, she faces up to 20 years in prison.

The case unfolds against the backdrop of Sudan’s ongoing civil war, which has pitted the national army against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces for three years. The conflict has triggered what the United Nations describes as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with tens of thousands killed and millions displaced.

International actors have been repeatedly accused of supplying weapons to both sides, prolonging the conflict. Rights group Amnesty International previously reported evidence of arms from multiple countries, including Serbia, Russia, China, Turkey and Yemen, being used in Sudan.

Analysts say the allegations highlight the opaque nature of global arms brokering. Justin Lynch described the sector as a largely unregulated space reliant on informal networks. He said non-Western countries engaged in conflict often depend on indirect channels to procure weapons.

Lynch added that if proven, the case would illustrate both Sudan’s urgency in sourcing military supplies and the strategic role of Iran’s defence industry in its foreign policy.

Sudan’s relationship with Iran has shifted over time. The two countries developed close ties in the 1990s, including security cooperation, before relations cooled in the mid-2000s as Khartoum moved closer to Gulf Arab states such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates following economic pressures and US sanctions.

Ties were restored after the outbreak of Sudan’s civil war in 2023, as the military-led government sought to strengthen its access to weapons. However, Khartoum has since taken a cautious approach, balancing its relationship with Tehran while responding to regional tensions and shifting geopolitical pressures.