BOSTON, MA – Mahdi Sadeghi, a former engineer at Analog Devices, pleaded not guilty on Friday to U.S. charges that he illegally procured technology for an Iranian firm. This firm allegedly produced a key component of a drone used in a January attack by Iran-backed militants in Jordan that killed three U.S. service members.
Sadeghi, who was fired by Analog Devices following his December 16 arrest, entered his plea during a hearing in federal court in Boston. He faces charges of engaging in a scheme to violate U.S. export control and sanctions laws.
The charges were announced nearly two weeks after the U.S. Department of Justice revealed accusations against Sadeghi and Mohammad Abedini, the head of Iranian navigation systems manufacturer San’at Danesh Rahpooyan Aflak Co. Abedini was arrested in Italy. Prosecutors stated that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was the primary customer of Abedini’s company, which manufactured the navigation system used in its military drone program.
According to prosecutors, the navigation system was used in an unmanned drone that struck a U.S. outpost in Jordan, known as Tower 22, near the Syrian border. The attack resulted in the deaths of three Army Reserve soldiers from Georgia and injured 47 others.
The White House has claimed that the attack was facilitated by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella organization of hardline Iran-backed militant groups. Iran has denied involvement in the attack, and its foreign ministry condemned the arrests of Sadeghi and Abedini, calling them a violation of international law.
Prosecutors revealed that in 2016, Sadeghi, a resident of Natick, Massachusetts, traveled to Iran seeking funding from a governmental organization for a fitness wearables company he co-founded. Through an affiliated Iranian company, Sadeghi began helping procure U.S.-origin electronic components on behalf of Abedini.
After joining Analog Devices in 2019, Sadeghi facilitated a contract between a Switzerland front company for Abedini’s Iranian firm and Analog Devices. He assisted Abedini in procuring U.S. technology, including components used in the drone’s navigation system.
Sadeghi has been detained since his arrest. U.S. Magistrate Judge Donald Cabell has scheduled a hearing for January 2 to potentially grant his release, following progress in discussions on acceptable bail conditions.