As the Iran war shows no signs of easing, authorities in the United States have reportedly arrested an Iranian-American woman over alleged involvement in illegal arms deals. The arrest took place at Los Angeles International Airport on Saturday night, according to reports.
The woman has been identified as Shamim Mafi, aged 44. She is a permanent US resident of Iranian origin. She has been charged by the US Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California for carrying out arms transactions without proper legal approval.
Prosecutors allege that Mafi was involved in brokering deals on behalf of the Iranian government. These deals are said to have included armed drones, bomb fuses and ammunition.
According to the charges, the weapons were intended for use in Sudan’s ongoing civil war, which began in 2023.
Investigators claim that Mafi used a front company registered in Oman, named Atlas International Business, to carry out these transactions. The alleged activities continued as recently as 2025, according to prosecutors.
Among the transactions highlighted is a contract worth more than $70 million for Mohajer-6 armed drones. These drones are military-grade unmanned aircraft linked to Iran’s defence establishment.
Prosecutors also said that around 55,000 bomb fuses were moved through the same network to Sudan’s Ministry of Defence.
The Mohajer-6 drone system has been used in several conflict zones in recent years, including fighting between Sudanese forces and paramilitary groups.
Court filings suggest that phone records show Mafi was in direct contact with Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security between December 2022 and June 2025. However, Mafi has told investigators that she was never instructed by Tehran to carry out activities in the United States.
Mafi left Iran in 2013 and became a permanent US resident in 2016.
Prosecutors claim that in 2020, Iranian authorities seized properties she had inherited from her father. After this, Iran’s intelligence agency allegedly asked her to set up a business in the US.
The stated purpose was to buy back those properties, with Tehran offering to fund the business.
According to prosecutors, Mafi told Iranian intelligence contacts that she believed she was more useful to them operating outside Iran rather than within the country.
The arrest comes at a time when diplomatic efforts are continuing between the US and Iran.
