Massachusetts man guilty in Iran sanctions case over drone-linked electronics

Boston,UPDATED: Jul 13, 2026 21:20 IST

A Massachusetts man has been found guilty of conspiring to unlawfully export electronic components to Iran in violation of US sanctions. Mahdi Mohammad Sadeghi, a former employee of global electronics company Analog Devices, was convicted on three of five charges and will remain free until his sentencing on October 13.

US prosecutors said Sadeghi helped an Iranian business associate bypass American export control laws. They told the court that the associate's Tehran-based company makes navigation systems for the military drone programme of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, and that the scheme involved setting up a front company in Switzerland.

Sadeghi, 43, a naturalised US citizen and father of two, did not testify during the trial. He showed no visible reaction when the verdict was delivered early in the fourth day of jury deliberations. He and his lawyers did not comment as they left court. Though he was arrested in December 2024, well before the current war involving Iran, the trial took place during the conflict. He also lost his job at Analog Devices because of the charges.

The second defendant, Mohammad Abedininajafabadi, identified in court papers as Abedini, was not on trial. He is believed to be in Iran after an apparent prisoner exchange involving an Italian journalist. Abedini was arrested at an airport in Italy on a US warrant in December 2024, but was released a month later and returned to Iran. Three days after his arrest, Italian journalist Cecilia Sala was detained while reporting in Iran. Sala, who was believed to have been held as leverage for Abedini's release, returned home in January 2025.

In closing arguments, Assistant US Attorney Alathea Porter told the jury: "At its core, this case is straightforward. You cannot send goods, especially the goods at issue in this case, to Iran. Period. Full stop." She added: "The defendant knew that, and conspired with Mr. Abedini to do that." Assistant US Attorney Jared Dolan said documents, text messages and photographs showed that the illegal acts were the "fruits of this relationship" between Sadeghi and Abedini. "The evidence established that he knew what Abedini was doing because he told him in writing," Dolan said. "He helped him anyway."

Sadeghi's lawyer, William Fick, argued that the prosecution's account "makes no sense" and was full of gaps. He said Sadeghi had only been advising a longtime friend on how to do business with the semiconductor company and was not responsible for obtaining the parts for Abedini. Fick said there was no proof the parts ended up in Iran and disputed the claim that the Swiss company was a front. "If you look at the world through dirty glasses, everything looks dirty," Fick said. "That is fundamentally what the prosecution is asking you to do here." He also argued that prosecutors had not shown Sadeghi stood to gain anything from the alleged plan, saying: "He had nothing to gain and everything to lose. He has lived in the country for decades. He was a well-regarded, respected employee on his way up in the company." Prosecutors, however, said they did not need to prove motive.

Before the trial, prosecutors had hoped to present evidence linked to an Iranian drone used in a 2024 attack that killed three US troops at a remote base in Jordan. Defence lawyers sought to block any reference to Abedini's alleged role in drone manufacturing or attacks on American troops, and the judge agreed. The court allowed only general evidence about Abedini's Iranian company and the potential military uses of its technology, including drones. During a hearing in February, prosecutors acknowledged they did not have evidence that Sadeghi "knew anything" about the technology he was accused of exporting being allegedly used in the drone involved in the Jordan attack. Both men have been charged with export control violations, while Abedini also faces a separate charge of conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organisation that resulted in the deaths of three service members.

The case centred on allegations that Sadeghi helped Abedini obtain electronic components for Iran despite US sanctions, with prosecutors pointing to messages and documents and the defence insisting there was no proof the parts reached Iran. The jury ultimately found Sadeghi guilty on three counts, while the case against Abedini remains separate.

With PTI Inputs

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