Iranian American tech executive charged in fatal attack on US troops in Jordan

According to court documents, the scheme began in 2015 when Sadeghi established a technology company in Massachusetts after receiving funding from an Iranian government foundation.

By Jewish Breaking News

Federal authorities have charged two men in connection with a years-long scheme to illegally export sensitive American technology to Iran that led to a deadly drone attack on US forces in Jordan.

On January 28, a drone strike hit a US military outpost in Jordan near the Syrian border that killed Staff Sergeant William Jerome Rivers, 46, Sergeant Kennedy Ladon Sanders, 24, and Sergeant Breonna Moffett, 23.

Forty other American service members were also injured in the devastating attack.

While Iran denied responsibility, investigators traced the drone’s navigational system to a company owned by Mohammad Abedininajafabadi, 38, of Tehran, who has deep connections to the Iranian government and military.

As the investigation progressed, evidence led them to Mahdi Mohammad Sadeghi, 42, a dual US-Iranian citizen who worked as a product marketing manager at Analog Devices Inc. in Norwood (ADI).

According to court documents, the scheme began in 2015 when Sadeghi established a technology company in Massachusetts after receiving funding from an Iranian government foundation.

He later connected Abedininajafabadi with his employer through a Swiss front company called Illumove, facilitating at least 14 illegal technology transfers between 2022 and 2024.

“We often cite hypothetical risk when we talk about the dangers of American technologies getting into dangerous hands,” said Acting Massachusetts US Attorney Joshua Levy at a Boston press conference. “Unfortunately, in this situation we are not speculating.”

Sadeghi appeared in US District Court in Boston Monday and was ordered held pending a detention hearing. Abedininajafabadi was arrested in Italy and faces extradition to the United States.

The charges include conspiracy to illegally export sensitive technology and, for Abedininajafabadi, providing material support to a terrorist organization resulting in death.

A spokesperson for ADI said the company is cooperating with investigators.

“ADI takes its compliance obligations and role in national security very seriously,” a spokesperson said in an email Monday night.

“We have cooperated fully with federal law enforcement and will continue to do so throughout the proceedings. ADI is committed to preventing unauthorized access to and misuse of our products and technology.”

drone attackIranMahdi Mohammad SadeghiMohammad AbedininajafabadiUS Army