Iran's is trying to secure the release of Mohammad Abedini, who was arrested at Milan airport in connection with a drone strike in Jordan earlier this year that killed US troops, IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News Agency reported Saturday.
"The lack of official notification to the Iranian embassy and the denial of access to Abedini, an Iranian citizen, is a clear example of abduction," Tasnim wrote.
The US Justice Department on Monday charged Abedini and another Iranian, Mahdi Mohammad Sadeghi, with conspiring to export sensitive US technology to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, including navigation systems for military drones linked to the deaths of three US service members.
Dual US-Iranian national Mahdi Mohammad Sadeghi, 42, a resident of Natick, Massachusetts, and Abedini, 38, of Tehran, were charged with violating US export control and sanctions laws.
Abedini is also accused of providing material support to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a designated foreign terrorist organization, leading to the deaths of three US soldiers in a January drone attack on a military base in Jordan.
At the time, the US Department of Defense attributed the attack to Kata'ib Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed Iraqi militia. It was the deadliest assault on US troops since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel ignited a broader conflict involving Israel and groups aligned with Tehran.
Sadeghi was arrested in Massachusetts, while Abedini was detained in Italy at the request of US authorities. Both face up to 20 years in prison, with Abedini also facing charges that could carry a life sentence.
Tasnim also quoted a university classmate of Abedini as saying, "Mohammad is the CEO of San'at Danesh Rahpouyan Aflak (SDRA) in Iran. This company operates in the field of precision measurement equipment, with its products having various applications, including medical and sports uses. Abedini was also the director of a Swiss company named Illumove SA, which specialized in motion capture equipment. All activities of these companies were conducted under the legal and tax oversight of the Swiss government."
"These devices, due to their advanced technology, have multifunctional capabilities. The company's products, after being legally marketed in Iran, can be purchased and used by any individual or entity. However, the US government, based on unfounded claims that these devices were used in drones involved in the mentioned attack, has initiated legal proceedings and arrested these individuals," the friend added.
According to court filings, Abedini founded San’at Danesh Rahpooyan Aflak Co. (SDRA), an Iranian company that manufactures the Sepehr Navigation System, which is used in IRGC military drones, as well as in cruise and ballistic missiles. Sadeghi, a former founder of a Massachusetts technology company, is accused of conspiring to obtain US-origin components through illicit channels for SDRA, in violation of export laws.
Investigators found that SDRA’s navigation systems were key components in the Shahed drones used in the January 28 attack on the Tower 22 base in Jordan, which killed three service members and injured over 40 others.
The US government is currently pursuing Abedini’s extradition from Italy.