Los Angeles woman arrested on suspicion of helping Iran traffic weapons to Sudan
PBS • • nation
Key Points:
- Shamim Mafi, a 44-year-old Los Angeles woman and Iranian national with U.S. permanent residency, was arrested at LAX for allegedly helping Iran traffic weapons to Sudan amid its ongoing civil war.
- Prosecutors accuse Mafi of brokering sales of drones, bombs, bomb fuses, and millions of rounds of ammunition between Iran and the Sudanese Armed Forces through a company in Oman called Atlas International Business, which received over $7 million in 2025.
- Court documents state Mafi submitted a letter of intent to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to purchase 55,000 bomb fuses for Sudan's Ministry of Defense.
- Mafi faces charges that could lead to up to 20 years in prison and is scheduled for a court appearance in Los Angeles.
- The Sudanese civil war has caused a severe humanitarian crisis, with food shortages and mass displacement of civilians.
