US man found guilty of helping export technology to Iran in violation of sanctions

Mahdi Mohammad Sadeghi, a Massachusetts man, was found guilty on Monday of conspiring to unlawfully export electronic components to Iran in violation of US sanctions.

Sadeghi, who worked at global semiconductor company Analog Devices, was accused of helping an Iranian business associate circumvent US export control laws. Prosecutors said the associate's Tehran-based company manufactured navigation systems for military drone programmes operated by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Authorities alleged that the scheme also involved the creation of a front company in Switzerland to facilitate the illegal exports.

Sadeghi was convicted on three of five charges. He remains free on bail ahead of his sentencing, which is scheduled for October 13. The 43-year-old chose not to testify during the trial. He lost his job at Analog Devices after his arrest in 2024, well before the recent conflict involving Iran, although his trial unfolded during the hostilities.

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In his closing arguments, Assistant US Attorney Jared Dolan said documents, text messages and photographs presented during the trial demonstrated that the illegal exports were the "fruits of this relationship" between Sadeghi and his alleged co-conspirator, Mohammad Abedini.

Abedini, who is named as the second defendant in the case, was not on trial. He is believed to be in Iran following what was widely viewed as a prisoner exchange involving an Italian journalist.

Defence arguments

Sadeghi's attorney, William Fick, argued that the prosecution's account of the alleged conspiracy "made no sense." He told jurors that his client had merely offered business advice to a longtime friend on how to secure business with the semiconductor company and was not responsible for procuring electronic components on Abedini's behalf.

Fick also argued that prosecutors had failed to demonstrate that Sadeghi personally benefited from the alleged scheme.

During the trial, prosecutors sought to introduce evidence linking an Iranian drone used in a 2024 attack that killed three US service members at a remote military base in Jordan. However, defence attorneys successfully argued to exclude evidence directly related to Abedini's alleged role in Iran's drone manufacturing programme.

The judge ruled that prosecutors could present only general evidence about Abedini's Iranian company and its military-related applications, without linking Sadeghi directly to the drone attack.

Both defendants have been charged with violating US export control laws. Abedini also faces a separate charge of conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, an offense that US authorities allege resulted in the deaths of three American service members.

Abedini was arrested at an airport in Italy in December 2024 on a US warrant. However, he was released a month later and allowed to return to Iran.

Three days after his arrest, Italian journalist Cecilia Sala was detained while reporting in Iran. Her detention was widely viewed as an attempt to pressure Italy into securing Abedini's release. Sala was freed and returned to Italy in January 2025.