Woman charged in US with trafficking arms to Sudan for Iranian government

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Woman charged in US with trafficking arms to Sudan for Iranian government

Published

2 months ago

April 20, 2026

US accuses Iranian citizen of brokering arms deals, including for drones and ammunition, with Sudan’s Ministry of Defence.

An Iranian national has been arrested at Los Angeles International Airport for allegedly trafficking arms to Sudan on behalf of Tehran, the US Department of Justice says.

Shamim Mafi, 44, was arrested and “charged with … brokering the sale of drones, bombs, bomb fuses, and millions of rounds of ammunition manufactured by Iran and sold to Sudan”, the department said in a post on X on Monday.

US Attorney Bill Essayli wrote in an earlier X post that Mafi lived in the Los Angeles suburb of Woodland Hills and “is an Iranian national who became a lawful permanent resident of the United States in 2016”.

Mafi was arrested on Saturday and faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison if convicted.

Essayli’s post was accompanied by images of a woman presumed to be Mafi surrounded by federal agents at the airport, a large drone on a tarmac, a woman’s ID image and bundles of cash.

The United Nations recently warned that Sudan is at risk of slipping into “full-scale famine and collapse” as the war between its army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has entered its fourth year.

A criminal complaint dated March 12 alleged that Mafi and an unnamed coconspirator operated a company in Oman called Atlas International Business, through which weapons and ammunition were trafficked. The company received more than $7m in payments in 2025.

Separately, Mafi and the coconspirator brokered the sale of 55,000 bomb fuses to the Sudanese Ministry of Defence, according to 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.

Mafi is scheduled to appear in US District Court in Los Angeles on Monday. If convicted, she could face up to 20 years in prison.

Denise Brown, head of the United Nations in Sudan, told the AFP news agency on Thursday that Sudan is facing the world’s largest humanitarian crisis and weapons from outside sources deserve part of the blame.

The UN has repeatedly called on foreign powers to stop fuelling the war but has not accused specific states.

On one side, the Sudanese army has been backed by Egypt and Saudi Arabia and deployed Turkish- and Iranian-made drones.

However, most of the blame has been pointed at the United Arab Emirates, which denies evidence that it has funnelled arms to the RSF, which has been accused of genocide.

📰 மூல செய்தி (Source): https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/20/woman-charged-in-us-with-trafficking-arms-to-sudan-for-iranian-government?traffic_source=rss

Related Topics:சர்வதேச செய்திகள்தமிழ் மொழிபெயர்ப்பு

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Israel continues strikes on Lebanon despite halting attacks on Iran

Published

12 hours ago

June 9, 2026

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Israel continues strikes on Lebanon despite halting attacks on Iran

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged a halt in fighting with Iran, but vowed to respond “with force” to future attacks. Israel says it will continue operations in Lebanon, claiming to focus on Hezbollah targets.

📰 மூல செய்தி (Source): https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/6/9/aje-onl-nf_israel-continues-strikes-on-lebanon-halts-on-iran-080626?traffic_source=rss

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ICC prosecutor suspended pending vote on sexual misconduct claims

Published

12 hours ago

June 9, 2026

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Karim Khan rejects suspension as ICC governing body refers him to disciplinary proceedings before member states.

The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, has been suspended from his duties, the tribunal’s governing body said, following a probe into sexual misconduct allegations.

In a statement on Monday, the Bureau of the Assembly of States Parties said it will refer Khan to disciplinary proceedings before all 125 ICC member states, which will vote on his fate in a special session.

“This suspension is not an indication of the final outcome,” it said.

The bureau, which is the executive committee of the court’s oversight body, said it referred Khan after making its own decision on the disciplinary proceedings involving the prosecutor.

It said the decision was based on a report of a United Nations investigation, the advice of an ad hoc panel of judicial experts, and written submissions, but did not give details about what it had decided.

“The decision of the ⁠Bureau and the related documentation will remain confidential,” the statement said.

Khan’s lawyers ⁠said in a statement that he rejected the decision in the strongest terms, and repeated his denial of any wrongdoing.

“The decision is unlawful, procedurally unfair and unsupported by evidence,” the statement said.

Khan, 56, drew international attention when he applied for warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then-Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Gaza.

He also sought warrants for Hamas leaders, including Yahya Sinwar, for the October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel.

Khan was among the first to be sanctioned by Israel’s ally, the United States, which expressed outrage over the arrest warrants.

He has maintained that the misconduct probe is a politically motivated smear campaign.

According to Reuters and the Associated Press news agencies, the UN probe found a “factual basis” for the allegations of sexual misconduct made by a female aide. However, a three-judge panel selected by the executive committee for a legal assessment of the findings found that the investigation was not conclusive enough.

Khan’s lawyers had previously told Reuters that the judges had unanimously concluded that the “factual findings do not establish misconduct or breach of duty”.

Khan has not led the ICC’s Office of the Prosecutor since ⁠last May, when he took a voluntary leave of absence pending the outcome of the inquiry.

He is the first ICC prosecutor to be formally suspended from his role by the court’s oversight body.

Only the Assembly of States Parties has the authority to remove Khan from office, a move that would require a majority in a secret ballot of its 125 member states.

Sixty-three countries would need to support a measure to remove him.

No date was immediately set for the session.

Khan’s suspension will have little practical impact on the functioning of the court, given his existing leave of absence.

He has already been removed from pleading in the ICC’s most high-profile current case, against former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.

📰 மூல செய்தி (Source): https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/6/9/icc-prosecutor-suspended-pending-vote-on-sexual-misconduct-claims?traffic_source=rss

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UN questions legality of Israeli forced evacuation orders in Lebanon

Published

12 hours ago

June 9, 2026

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UN questions legality of Israeli forced evacuation orders in Lebanon

A UN spokesman says forced evacuation orders issued across southern and eastern Lebanon are nearly impossible to follow safely, and calls into question whether Israel is complying with international humanitarian law.

📰 மூல செய்தி (Source): https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/6/9/un-questions-legality-of-israeli-forced-evacuation-orders-in-lebanon?traffic_source=rss