LA woman arrested on charge of helping Iran traffic weapons to Sudan

A 44-year-old Los Angeles woman, Shamim Mafi, was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport on charges of facilitating the trafficking of weapons from Iran to Sudan. Federal prosecutors allege that Mafi brokered the sale of drones, bombs, bomb fuses, and millions of rounds of ammunition to the Sudanese Armed Forces amid Sudan’s ongoing civil war. Mafi, an Iranian national and lawful permanent resident of the United States since 2016, faces charges under U.S. law that could result in up to 20 years in prison. Court documents reveal that Mafi and an unidentified co-conspirator operated a company called Atlas International Business based in Oman, which was used to channel over $7 million in payments for these arms transactions in 2025. The complaint specifically cites a deal involving 55,000 bomb fuses sold to Sudan’s Ministry of Defense, with Mafi submitting a letter of intent to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to facilitate the purchase. The IRGC is a designated terrorist organization responsible for Iran’s military exports and regional influence. The arrest comes during a fragile ceasefire in the ongoing conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran, highlighting the broader geopolitical tensions surrounding Iran’s support for armed groups and regimes in conflict zones. Sudan’s civil war has resulted in a severe humanitarian crisis, with millions displaced and widespread food shortages, making the flow of weapons into the country a critical concern for international security and human rights. Mafi is scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles to face the charges. The case underscores ongoing U.S. efforts to disrupt Iran’s arms trafficking networks and limit the supply of weapons fueling conflicts in volatile regions such as Sudan.