Engineer Guilty of Exporting Tech to Iran in Sanctions Case

BOSTON (AP) — A federal jury in Boston on Monday found Mahdi Mohammad Sadeghi, a 43-year-old dual US-Iranian citizen and former Analog Devices engineer, guilty on three of five charges for conspiring to illegally export sophisticated electronic components to Iran in violation of US sanctions. The verdict came after four days of deliberations and unfolded against the backdrop of an ongoing US-Iran war.

The Verdict

Sadeghi, a naturalized US citizen and father of two from Natick, Massachusetts, showed no visible reaction as the jury delivered its decision. He was convicted of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations, as well as substantive violations of those laws. Sentencing is scheduled for October 13, 2026, where he faces up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine. He remains free until sentencing.

According to AP News, Sadeghi lost his job at Analog Devices due to the charges. He chose not to testify in his own defense.

The Scheme and the Tower 22 Connection

Prosecutors alleged that Sadeghi helped his co-defendant, Mohammad Abedininajafabadi (known as Abedini), evade US export control laws by procuring electronic components through a Swiss front company called Illumove SA. Abedini’s company, San’at Danesh Rahpooyan Aflak Co. (SDRA), manufactures the Sepehr Navigation System used in IRGC military drones.

The case is directly tied to the January 28, 2024, Tower 22 drone attack in Jordan, in which an Iranian Shahed drone killed three US service members — Sgt. William Rivers, Spc. Kennedy Sanders, and Spc. Breonna Moffett — and injured 47 others. According to the Department of Justice, the navigation system recovered from the drone was traced to Abedini’s company.

However, the judge in the case excluded evidence directly linking Sadeghi to the drone attack. During a February 2026 hearing, prosecutors acknowledged they did not have evidence that Sadeghi “knew anything” about the technology being used in the drone that struck Tower 22.

Prosecution and Defense Arguments

Assistant US Attorney Alathea Porter told the jury during closing arguments: “At its core, this case is straightforward. You cannot send goods, especially the goods at issue in this case, to Iran. Period. Full stop. The defendant knew that, and conspired with Mr. Abedini to do that.”

Fellow prosecutor Jared Dolan added that documents, text messages, and photos proved 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.”

Defense attorney William Fick argued that the prosecution’s case “makes no sense” and was full of holes. He said Sadeghi was only offering business advice to a longtime friend and that there was no proof the parts ended up in Iran. “If you look at the world through dirty glasses, everything looks dirty,” Fick told jurors. “That is fundamentally what the prosecution is asking you to do here.”

Fick also noted that Sadeghi “had nothing to gain and everything to lose,” describing him as a “well-regarded, respected employee on his way up in the company.”

The Prisoner Exchange

Abedini, 38, of Tehran, was not on trial. He was arrested at Milan’s airport in December 2024 on a US warrant 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. As Euronews reported, Sala was widely believed to be held as a bargaining chip for Abedini’s release. Both were freed in January 2025, with Sala returning to Italy.

Broader Context

Sadeghi’s trial unfolded during an active US-Iran war that began in February 2026. On the same day as the verdict, President Trump announced a renewal of the US naval blockade of Iran in the Strait of Hormuz and said the US would charge a 20% fee on goods passing through the strait.

The prosecution was coordinated through the Disruptive Technology Strike Force, an interagency effort co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce designed to prevent critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes.

What’s Next

Sadeghi’s sentencing on October 13 will be closely watched, particularly given the ongoing hostilities between the US and Iran. Abedini remains in Iran, which has no extradition treaty with the United States, and it remains unclear whether the US will seek his extradition again. The case also raises broader questions about whether Iranian state-linked entities have infiltrated US technology companies through funding mechanisms like the Iranian National Elites Foundation.