The U.S. Department of Justice has seized $584,741 in USDT from an unhosted wallet allegedly controlled by Mohammad Abedini, an Iranian national charged with supporting Iran's military drone program. The Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts filed a civil forfeiture action to permanently recover these assets, citing authority under U.S. anti-terrorism laws.
Abedini is identified as the founder and managing director of San'at Danesh Rahpooyan Aflak Co. (SDRA), an Iranian firm that manufactures navigation systems for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). His company's flagship product, the Sepehr Navigation System, has been integrated into IRGC military drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles. Prosecutors allege that between 2021 and 2022, approximately 99% of SDRA's sales of this system were made directly to the IRGC Aerospace Force, which is designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
The case gained significance after forensic analysis linked SDRA's technology to a January 2024 drone attack on Tower 22, a U.S. military installation in Jordan. That attack killed three American service members and injured over 40 others. The recovered drone was identified as an Iranian-made Shahed UAV equipped with SDRA's navigation system.
Abedini was arrested by Italian authorities in December 2024 but was subsequently released and is now believed to be in Iran. The DOJ emphasizes that all claims in the forfeiture and criminal complaints remain allegations, and Abedini is presumed innocent until proven guilty.