A US federal court has refused to let MTN Group stop two anti-terrorism lawsuits in their tracks. On Friday, 25 September, the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York rejected the company’s requests to reconsider, or to allow an immediate appeal of, an earlier decision that let certain claims under the Anti-Terrorism Act proceed in Zobay v MTN Group Limited. The related Long case, before the same court, moves forward with it. MTN disclosed the outcome to shareholders and noteholders on Tuesday.
What the Lawsuits Allege
MTN is defending four such cases in the United States. Two of them, Cabrera and Chand & Davis, have seen no material developments. The suits are brought by or on behalf of US service members and their families. Broadly, they allege that MTN’s business dealings in Iran and Afghanistan benefited groups responsible for attacks on American personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Reports on the wider litigation describe claims that MTN made protection payments to militant groups to safeguard its telecoms infrastructure in Afghanistan. Zobay, filed in 2021, has been reported as focused on Iran, with more than 50 Americans claiming MTN dealt with the country’s Revolutionary Guard Corps. MTN denies the allegations.
This Is Not a Finding of Guilt
The company has stressed that the rulings are procedural and do not amount to a finding of wrongdoing or liability. In plain terms, the court has decided that certain claims are strong enough to go forward, and nothing more. At this early stage, US procedure did not allow MTN to contest the facts. Discovery will be its first opportunity to do so.
What Happens in Discovery
Discovery is the stage where both sides exchange information in their possession. Once it ends, either party may ask the court for summary judgment, which is a ruling based on the evidence without a full trial. If neither side asks, or the court refuses, the cases proceed further.
A Company Still Tied to the Region
The legal fight comes as MTN steps back from the Middle East. It first announced plans to exit the region in 2020 to focus on its African operations. It left Yemen in 2021, says it completed its Afghanistan exit in 2024, and in March 2026 formalised an agreement to regularise its exit from Syria.
One stake remains. MTN still holds 49% of Irancell in Iran, and it says a full exit has been complicated by US sanctions. So even as the company narrows its footprint, its past operations in the region continue to follow it into a New York courtroom.
What to Watch
Discovery will show how much evidence each side can produce, and whether MTN seeks summary judgment will shape the next chapter. For now, the company faces a long process with no early appeal available.