'Mohajer-6 armed drones, bomb fuses and more': Who is Shamim Mafi, Iranian woman arrested in US for selling arms to Sudan 'on behalf of Iran govt'
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "'Mohajer-6 armed drones, bomb fuses and more': Who is Shamim Mafi, Iranian woman arrested in US for selling arms to Sudan 'on behalf of Iran govt'")
Iranian national Shamim Mafi was arrested at LAX Photograph: (X/USAttyEssayli)
US prosecutors say Iranian national Shamim Mafi was arrested at LAX for allegedly brokering Iranian weapons sales, including drones and ammunition, to Sudan. The case highlights concerns over foreign arms fueling Sudan’s ongoing war and worsening humanitarian crisis.
US federal prosecutors on Sunday (Apr 19) arrested a 44-year-old Iranian businesswoman, who has US permanent residency, at Los Angeles International Airport for allegedly trafficking arms to Sudan on behalf of the Iranian government. The woman has been identified as Shamim Mafi, and will be charged with “brokering the sale of drones, bombs, bomb fuses and millions of rounds of ammunition manufactured by Iran and sold to Sudan.” In a statement, US Attorney Bill Essayli said that she is a resident of the Los Angeles suburb of Woodland Hills and became “a lawful permanent resident of the United States in 2016.” Mafi faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison if convicted.
What are the allegations against her?
US Attorney Essayli shared images of a woman presumed to be Mafi surrounded by federal agents at the airport, a large drone on a tarmac, a woman's ID image and bundles of cash. The case against her has been filed under a violation which relates to sanctions and prohibited foreign transactions. Authorities allege that Mafi used an Oman-registered company, Atlas International Business, to facilitate the deals. Prosecutors from the US Attorney's Office for the Central District of California allege that Mafi facilitated sales of Mohajer-6 armed drones worth more than $70 million, manufactured by Iran’s ministry of defence and Armed Forces Logistics. The drones, along with tens of thousands of bomb fuses, were allegedly supplied directly to Sudan’s ministry of defence. Mafi was allegedly in direct contact with Iran’s ministry of intelligence and security between December 2022 and June 2025. Prosecutors clarify that her arrest in the US is because she did not have the legal authorisation required to conduct such transactions.
Shamim Mafi, an Iranian national, left Iran in 2013. She became US resident in 2016. On personal front, Mafi is presumed to be living a luxurious life and following a lavish lifestyle. On social media, she frequently shared photographs of international travel and posed with an expensive Mercedes-Benz roadster. She is expected to appear in a Los Angeles court on Monday afternoon for her initial hearing.
Who are the suspected actors in Sudan war?
This comes days after the United Nations warned that Sudan is at risk of slipping into "full-scale famine and collapse," as the war between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) entered its fourth year. The UN Sudan chief Denise Brown told AFP that Sudan is facing the world's largest humanitarian crisis, and weapons from outside sources deserve part of the blame. The UN has repeatedly called on foreign powers to stop fueling the war, but has not accused specific states. On one side, the Sudanese army has been backed by Egypt and Saudi Arabia, and deployed Turkish and Iranian-made drones. Hhowever, most of the blame has been pointed at the United Arab Emirates, which denies evidence it has funnelled arms to the RSF, who have been accused of genocide.
