US citizen is found guilty of helping export tech to Iran in violation
of sanctions
[July 14, 2026]
By MICHAEL CASEY
BOSTON (AP) — A Massachusetts man was found guilty Monday of conspiring
to unlawfully export electronic components to Iran in violation of U.S.
sanctions.
Mahdi Mohammad Sadeghi, who worked at the global electronics company
Analog Devices, was accused of helping an Iranian business associate get
around American export control laws. U.S. prosecutors say the business
associate’s Tehran-based company makes navigation systems for the
military drone program of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. Authorities say
the scheme included the creation of a front company in Switzerland.
The second defendant, Mohammad Abedininajafabadi, called Abedini in
court documents, was not on trial. He is believed to be in Iran after an
apparent prisoner exchange for an Italian journalist.
Sadeghi was found guilty on three of the five charges. He showed no
visible reaction to the verdict, which came early in the fourth day of
jury deliberations. He and his lawyers did not comment as they left
court, and he will remain free until sentencing Oct. 13.
Sadeghi, a 43-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen, chose not to testify. A
father of two, he lost his job at Analog Devices due to the charges.
Although he was arrested in December 2024, long before the current war
with Iran, his trial has unfolded during the conflict.
“At its core, this case is straightforward. You cannot send goods,
especially the goods at issue in this case, to Iran. Period. Full stop,”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alathea Porter told the jury. “The defendant
knew that, and conspired with Mr. Abedini to do that.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Dolan, in his closing remarks, said
documents, text messages and photos proved that 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.”
Sadeghi's attorney, William Fick, told jurors that the scheme laid out
by the prosecution “makes no sense” and was full of holes. He said
Sadeghi was only offering advice to a longtime friend about how to get
business with the semiconductor company, and wasn’t responsible for
procuring the parts for Abedini.
Fick said there was no proof the parts ended up in Iran, and he disputed
that the Swiss company was a front.
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Iranian American defendant Mahdi Mohammad Sadeghi poses for a photo
Friday, July 10, 2026, before heading into federal court in Boston.
(AP Photo/Michael Casey)
“If you look at the world through dirty glasses, everything looks
dirty,” Fick said. “That is fundamentally what the prosecution is
asking you to do here.”
Fick also said prosecutors hadn't shown Sadeghi gained anything from
the alleged plan — although the prosecution pointed out that they
didn't need to prove a motive.
“He had nothing to gain and everything to lose,” Fick said. “He has
lived in the country for decades. He was a well-regarded, respected
employee on his way up in the company.”
Prosecutors had hoped to introduce evidence during the trial related
to an Iranian drone used in a 2024 attack that killed three U.S.
troops at a remote base in Jordan.
However, before the trial, defense attorneys sought to exclude any
evidence related to Abedini’s role in drone manufacturing or attacks
on American troops.
The judge agreed, ruling that prosecutors could only give general
evidence about Abedini’s Iranian company and how its technology had
potential military applications, including for drones. During a
hearing in February, prosecutors acknowledged they didn’t have
evidence that Sadeghi “knew anything” about the technology he was
accused of exporting was allegedly used on the drone involved in the
Jordan attack.
Both defendants have been charged with export control violations.
Abedini is separately charged with conspiring to provide material
support to a foreign terrorist organization that resulted in the
deaths of three service members.
Abedini was arrested at an airport in Italy on a U.S. warrant in
December 2024, 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. Sala, who was believed held as a
bargaining chip for Abedini’s release, returned home in January
2025.
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