Africa’s largest mobile operator, MTN, has said that it is under investigation by a U.S. Department of Justice grand jury over past business dealings in Afghanistan and its stake in Irancell.
The two countries are unstable politically; Iran faces wide U.S. sanctions, while Afghanistan has targeted sanctions on certain people.
In its 2025 interim financial results, MTN revealed that “MTN has been contacted, through its external US counsel, regarding a DoJ grand jury investigation involving MTN Group, its former Afghan subsidiary, and Irancell.”
The company stated that “MTN is cooperating with the DoJ and voluntarily responding to requests for information.”
It added that “the company will update the market as appropriate on any material developments in the matter.”
The probe could lead to an indictment and charges against the company.
