US citizen found guilty of helping export tech to Iran in violation of sanctions

A Massachusetts man is found guilty of conspiring to unlawfully export electronic components to Iran in violation of US 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. US 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 is found guilty on three of the five charges. He shows no visible reaction to the verdict, which comes 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 October 13.

Sadeghi, a 43-year-old naturalized US 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 US Attorney Alathea Porter tells the jury. “The defendant knew that, and conspired with Mr. Abedini to do that.”

Sadeghi’s attorney, William Fick, tells jurors that the scheme laid out by the prosecution “makes no sense” and is full of holes. He says 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 says there is no proof the parts ended up in Iran, and he disputes that the Swiss company was a front.

“If you look at the world through dirty glasses, everything looks dirty,” Fick says. “That is fundamentally what the prosecution is asking you to do here.”