Founder of Iranian Company Arrested for Providing Material Support to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and for Scheme to Procure Sensitive U.S. Technology for Use in IRGC Military Drones, One of Which Killed Three U.S. Servicemembers

December 16, 2024

Publication: 

U.S. Department of Justice

Related Country: 

  • Italy
  • Switzerland
  • United States

U.S.-Iranian national Mahdi Mohammad Sadeghi and Iranian national Mohammad Abedininajafabadi (Abedini) were charged in the United States with illicitly exporting electronic components to Iran. With Sadeghi's assistance, Abedini allegedly used a Switzerland-based front company Illumove SA to procure U.S.-origin microelectronics for his Iranian company San’at Danesh Rahpooyan Aflak Co. (SDRA or SADRA). SDRA produces navigation systems for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). A drone equipped with a SDRA-built navigation system was used in a January 2024 attack on a U.S. military base in Jordan that killed three U.S. service members. Sadeghi was arrested in the United States, and Abedini was arrested in Italy.