The U.S. Charges Two Iranians in Connection with Last Year's Attack on Tower 22 Base

The U.S. Department of Justice has charged two individuals with illegally sending sensitive technology to Iran that was used in a drone attack on a U.S. military base in Jordan, resulting in three deaths. Federal prosecutors in Boston announced the names of the two individuals on Monday evening, December 26: Mahdi Mohammadi, an Iranian-American citizen, and Mohammad Abedini Najafabadi, a resident of Iran and Switzerland. Reports indicate that Mahdi Mohammadi was arrested on Monday in Boston, while Mohammad Abedini was detained in Milan, Italy, at the request of the U.S., with prosecutors seeking his extradition to America. According to the Associated Press, both individuals are accused of violating export control regulations, and Mohammad Abedini is also accused of supporting equipment from Iran related to the drone attack on the Jordan base. The drone attack on a U.S. military base in northeastern Jordan, known as Tower 22, occurred on January 28 of last year, resulting in the deaths of three American soldiers and injuries to over 40 others. Joshua Levy, the U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts, explained at a press conference that the arrests came after FBI specialists traced GPS-related components in the drone back to an Iranian company named 'Sadra.' Reports indicate that Mahdi Mohammadi was an employee of 'Analog Devices,' based in Boston and involved in semiconductor production. Although the prosecutors did not specifically mention the company's name, Analog Devices confirmed in a statement that Mr. Mohammadi was an employee. Additionally, according to prosecutors, Mohammad Abedini is one of the founders of Sadra and was purchasing equipment from Analog Devices through a company in Switzerland and ultimately transferring it to Iran. Prosecutors state that Mohammad Abedini is linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and has supplied components, including accelerometers and gyroscopes, to Iran. No comments have been reported from either defendant or their lawyers. Mahdi Mohammadi appeared in a brief court session in Boston on Monday, and the judge ruled to extend his detention until the next court session. Joshua Levy stated at the press conference in Boston, 'When we talk about the dangers of U.S. technologies falling into dangerous hands, we usually speak of hypothetical dangers, but unfortunately, this time we are not speculating or hypothesizing.' The drone attack on Tower 22 was the first deadly attack against U.S. forces since the onset of the Gaza war. Iran denied involvement in the attack, and Iraqi militants known as 'Islamic Resistance of Iraq' claimed responsibility. Following this, the U.S. announced a significant attack, stating it targeted 85 positions related to the militants in Iraq and Syria.