What is the story about?
Shamim Mafi led a glamorous life in the US. Big money, fast cars, business trips, and whatnot. However, she now faces 20 years in a US prison. The Iranian-origin woman has been arrested in Los Angeles for allegedly brokering arms deals for Tehran.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arrested the 44-year-old Mafi at the Los Angeles airport on Saturday night on suspicion of helping Iran traffic weapons to Sudan, which is in its fourth year of a bloody civil war.
Mafi will face charges that she brokered the sale of “drones, bombs, bomb fuses, and millions of rounds of ammunition” between Iran and the Sudanese Armed Forces, First US Attorney Bill Essayli said Sunday on social media. Essayli posted a photo of someone in an FBI jacket escorting a woman into the back of a sedan outside a terminal at the LA airport, according to a report by
The Associated Press.
Mafi is a US green card holder and has been living in Woodland Hills, an upscale neighbourhood in Los Angeles. She reportedly became a permanent resident of the US in 2016.
She lived her early life in Iran and left her homeland in 2013. She allegedly used an Oman-registered firm to crack weapon deals as recently as 2025, according to court records, reports the New York Post.
The woman lived a life of luxury. She often shared images of herself on social media that showed her wealth and affluence. A photograph showed her posing in her Mercedes worth $100,000, and she often posted about her business trips to Turkey.
Mafi allegedly had direct contact with Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security between December 2022 and June 2025. However, she has denied accusations that she was conducting activities in the US on behalf of the Iranian regime . She allegedly said that she is more “useful” to Iranian spies in Tehran than the US.
A criminal complaint dated March 12 alleges that Mafi and an unnamed co-conspirator operated a company in Oman called Atlas International Business through which weapons and ammunition were trafficked. The company received over $7 million in payments in 2025.
According to prosecutors, Mafi had no legal requisites to manage such dangerous business.
To skirt US authorities, Mafi and the Atlans International Business allegedly use channels in Turkey and the UAE to conduct sales, reports The New York Post.
Mafi and the co-conspirator brokered the sale of 55,000 bomb fuses to the Sudanese Ministry of Defence, according to the court documents. “In connection with the transaction, Mafi submitted a letter of intent to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to purchase the bomb fuses for Sudan,” the complaint said.
Prosecutors cited that among the deals the woman was involved in, one contract was worth $70 million for Mohajer-6 armed drones, military-grade unmanned aircraft, sourced from Iran’s Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics.
A civil war has been unfolding in Sudan since 2023. Iranian military officials told Reuters in 2024 that drones and unmanned aerial vehicles manufactured within its borders were instrumental in turning the tide of the civil war in favour of the Sudanese military.
Mafi is accused of violating the Conspiracy to Violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
According to a report in The Sun, Iran has seized properties that the woman inherited from her father. She reportedly was forced to broker the deals on behalf of Tehran to get them back.
Mafi was about to fly to Istanbul on Saturday when she was confronted by law enforcement officers and took her into custody. It wasn't known on Sunday if she had an attorney who could speak on her behalf.
Mafi is scheduled to appear in the US District Court in Los Angeles on Monday (April 20). If convicted, she could face up to 20 years in prison.
With inputs from agencies
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arrested the 44-year-old Mafi at the Los Angeles airport on Saturday night on suspicion of helping Iran traffic weapons to Sudan, which is in its fourth year of a bloody civil war.
Mafi will face charges that she brokered the sale of “drones, bombs, bomb fuses, and millions of rounds of ammunition” between Iran and the Sudanese Armed Forces, First US Attorney Bill Essayli said Sunday on social media. Essayli posted a photo of someone in an FBI jacket escorting a woman into the back of a sedan outside a terminal at the LA airport, according to a report by
Who is Shamim Mafi?
Mafi is a US green card holder and has been living in Woodland Hills, an upscale neighbourhood in Los Angeles. She reportedly became a permanent resident of the US in 2016.
She lived her early life in Iran and left her homeland in 2013. She allegedly used an Oman-registered firm to crack weapon deals as recently as 2025, according to court records, reports the New York Post.
The woman lived a life of luxury. She often shared images of herself on social media that showed her wealth and affluence. A photograph showed her posing in her Mercedes worth $100,000, and she often posted about her business trips to Turkey.
This undated driver's licence photo provided by FA United States Attorney Bill Essayli shows Shamim Mafi. The 44-year-old has been living in the US on a green card. FA United States Attorney Bill Essayli via AP
What are the allegations against Shamim Mafi?
Mafi allegedly had direct contact with Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security between December 2022 and June 2025. However, she has denied accusations that she was conducting activities in the US on behalf of the Iranian regime . She allegedly said that she is more “useful” to Iranian spies in Tehran than the US.
A criminal complaint dated March 12 alleges that Mafi and an unnamed co-conspirator operated a company in Oman called Atlas International Business through which weapons and ammunition were trafficked. The company received over $7 million in payments in 2025.
According to prosecutors, Mafi had no legal requisites to manage such dangerous business.
To skirt US authorities, Mafi and the Atlans International Business allegedly use channels in Turkey and the UAE to conduct sales, reports The New York Post.
Shamim Mafi lived a high-flying life in Los Angeles. She was on her way to Istanbul when she was intercepted and arrested by law enforcement. Image courtesy: Shamim Mafi/Facebook
Mafi and the co-conspirator brokered the sale of 55,000 bomb fuses to the Sudanese Ministry of Defence, according to the court documents. “In connection with the transaction, Mafi submitted a letter of intent to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to purchase the bomb fuses for Sudan,” the complaint said.
Prosecutors cited that among the deals the woman was involved in, one contract was worth $70 million for Mohajer-6 armed drones, military-grade unmanned aircraft, sourced from Iran’s Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics.
A civil war has been unfolding in Sudan since 2023. Iranian military officials told Reuters in 2024 that drones and unmanned aerial vehicles manufactured within its borders were instrumental in turning the tide of the civil war in favour of the Sudanese military.
Mafi is accused of violating the Conspiracy to Violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
According to a report in The Sun, Iran has seized properties that the woman inherited from her father. She reportedly was forced to broker the deals on behalf of Tehran to get them back.
What comes next for Mafi?
Mafi was about to fly to Istanbul on Saturday when she was confronted by law enforcement officers and took her into custody. It wasn't known on Sunday if she had an attorney who could speak on her behalf.
Mafi is scheduled to appear in the US District Court in Los Angeles on Monday (April 20). If convicted, she could face up to 20 years in prison.
With inputs from agencies
