Federal agents flew 44-year-old Iranian citizen Reza Dindar into Seattle this week after his extradition from Panama, bringing him face to face with a long-running federal indictment that accuses him of routing U.S.-made parts for military sonar systems through China to Iran. He arrived in custody for an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Seattle, where prosecutors say the case will be litigated in federal court.
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, Dindar (also known as Renda Dindar) was arrested in Panama in July 2025 at the request of U.S. authorities and extradited last week. A federal grand jury had returned a nine-count indictment in August 2014, and that indictment was unsealed upon his arrival in Seattle. The office says the indictment charges him with a conspiracy to violate U.S. export controls and related offenses. U.S. Attorney’s Office
Prosecutors allege Dindar ran a China-based company called New Port Sourcing Solutions between 2010 and 2014 and hid that it was procuring U.S. goods on behalf of Iranian entities by claiming the items were destined for China. The indictment says that in 2011 and 2012, Dindar and unnamed co-conspirators used deception to obtain parts for three military sonar systems from a business in Washington state, intending to ship them on to Iran. KOMO News
What prosecutors say
“The members of this conspiracy thought they could evade export restrictions by shipping goods through a third country, in this case China,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd said, adding that law enforcement eventually uncovered the alleged scheme and the grand jury returned an indictment. Officials say the conduct at issue allegedly violated executive orders that bar unauthorized exports to Iran, and federal agencies involved in the case are pointing to the extradition as an example of cross-border enforcement of export controls. U.S. Attorney’s Office
Charges and evidence
Federal prosecutors say Dindar faces nine counts, including conspiracy, two counts of exporting to an embargoed country, two counts of smuggling, two counts of money laundering tied to roughly $97,600 used to buy the parts, and two counts of filing false export records. If convicted on the most serious charges, he could face up to 20 years in prison. The indictment, unsealed in Seattle, reflects an investigation led by the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security and Homeland Security Investigations, and public reporting so far tracks the allegations and evidentiary claims in those court filings. KOMO News
What’s next
Dindar is scheduled to make his initial appearance Monday afternoon in U.S. District Court in Seattle. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with Panamanian authorities to secure his arrest and transfer, and from here the case moves into the usual federal pretrial grind, including arraignment, potential detention hearings, and, if prosecutors press ahead, discovery and motions practice. For now, the charges remain allegations, and Dindar is presumed innocent unless and until the government proves its case in court.
Why it matters
Prosecutors say the parts at the center of the case were components for military sonar systems, and the indictment highlights how investigators believe sanctions-evasion schemes can piggyback on otherwise legitimate supply chains by routing shipments through third countries. Federal officials say they pursue cases like this to keep sensitive technology from reaching actors who could use it in ways that threaten U.S. interests or regional stability. For local suppliers and exporters, it is another pointed reminder that international defense-related commerce comes with significant regulatory and criminal exposure.
Legal context
U.S. sanctions prohibit the unauthorized export or re-export of goods, technology, or services to Iran, and enforcement plays out both through administrative actions by agencies such as the Bureau of Industry and Security and through criminal prosecutions by U.S. Attorneys. Cases like this often hinge on paper trails, including export records, commercial correspondence, and cooperation with foreign authorities to trace shipments and payments. As the proceedings continue in Seattle federal court, the indictment and subsequent filings will remain the key public roadmap for the government’s factual allegations and for whatever response the defense mounts.
