Key facts
- An Iranian-born engineer, Mahdi Sadeghi, has been granted bail ahead of his trial.
- Sadeghi is accused of conspiring to illegally export technology to Iran that has potential application in military drones.
- Prosecutors allege this technology was used in a drone that struck a U.S. outpost in Jordan, killing three American soldiers.
- US District Judge Indira Talwani cited changed political circumstances and the ongoing conflict as reasons for granting bail.
- Sadeghi will be released on a secured $500,000 bond with strict home detention and a GPS ankle monitor.
A U.S. judge has granted bail to an Iranian-born engineer, Mahdi Sadeghi, who faces charges related to illegally exporting technology to Iran that has potential application in military drones. Prosecutors allege this technology was used in a drone that struck a U.S. outpost in Jordan, killing three American soldiers and injuring 47 others.
U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston had previously denied Sadeghi bail, citing concerns he might flee. However, on Thursday, she revised her decision, stating that the ongoing conflict in Iran and Israel made returning to Iran less attractive for Sadeghi and his family. She also noted his wife's desire to remain in the United States.
Sadeghi, a dual U.S.-Iranian citizen and former Analog Devices employee, was arrested in December 2024. He has pleaded not guilty to charges of participating in a scheme to violate U.S. export control and sanctions laws. Prosecutors claim the technology was intended for businessman Mohammad Abedini's company, which served Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and produced navigation systems for Iran's Shahed drones.
Sadeghi is scheduled to stand trial alone on June 22, as his co-defendant, Mohammad Abedini, was released by Italian officials last year following Iran's detention and subsequent release of an Italian journalist.