TEHRAN – The Trump administration detained Balam Mohammad Ostbali, a 66-year-old Iranian-born legal US resident, at Los Angeles International Airport on Friday.
Ostovari faces a four-count federal charge that violates one conspiracy and three counts of violation of the International Emergency Economic Force Act (IEEPA).
The Trump administration’s Justice Department is pushing the elderly to be jailed for up to 20 years over vague allegations related to business dealings with Iran.
The Washington indictment alleges that Ostbali, who allegedly owns homes in Santa Monica and Tehran, California, were “adjusting the scheme” from May 2018 to July 2025, procuring and exporting items such as advanced computer processors and railroad equipment.
Ostbali pleaded not guilty to the charges of his arrest in US District Court in downtown Los Angeles, where a federal magistrate judge was released to him on a $1.3 million bond, with a trial date scheduled for September 2nd.
The case has been jointly investigated by the Homeland Security Investigation (HSI), the Department of Commerce’s Industrial Security Bureau (BIS), and the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).
Ostbari’s arrest comes from what critics describe as a radical escalation of anti-Iran policies by US authorities.
The US Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) reportedly detains hundreds of Iranian citizens across the country.
Human rights advocates and critics have condemned recent behavior as racially motivated profiling driven by Iranphobia.
In Los Angeles, ice agents reportedly raided the home of Iranian immigrants, including a congregation of Pastor Ala Torosian’s Farusian-speaking church.
An eyewitness on Reuters said officers securing the woman to the ground during their arrest caused a violent panic attack. “She’s sick! Call 911!” cried the Tosian, who later demanded, “Why are you guys doing this?”
Ice Director Todd Lyons defends these tactics as “target enforcement” against citizens of “high-risk countries, including Iran.”
Esmaeir Bakaei, a spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, condemned the practice as “humiliating” and vowed that Tehran will “take all measures” to protect its citizens abroad. He said Tehran has directed Iranian diplomatic missions around the world to support detainees and exiles.
Proactive enforcement measures highlight wider changes in government policies.
The recent US travel ban issued by President Trump through the presidential declaration on June 4th, along with citizens from 11 other countries, defending Iranians.
Tehran accused the policy of being driven by a “supremacist and racist mentality” that elects Muslims and Iranians for collective suspicion.
Critics warn that fusing ordinary Iranian-Americans with national security threats will only deepen bias and undermine legitimate processes.