London: (Lord Media) The British newspaper Telegraph has claimed that Russia transferred approximately $2.5 billion in cash to Iran in 2018 to evade US sanctions. These funds were sent in 34 large shipments via the Russian state-owned Promsvyazbank to Tehran’s central bank.
According to documents, the money was sent when Donald Trump imposed strict sanctions on Iran. Each shipment was valued between $57 million and $115 million, mostly consisting of high-denomination European currency notes.
Experts suggest these payments reflect deep ties between Russia and Iran and were possibly in exchange for arms or military equipment. Former US officials have expressed concerns that such transfers might still be ongoing, especially as Iran supplies drones and missiles to Russia in the Ukraine war.
The report states that the Russian bank was taken into state control in 2017 to finance the defense sector and evade sanctions, with its former head later sanctioned by the US and UK.
Analysts warn that cash transactions are difficult to trace, which is why Russia might continue relying on this strategy in the future.
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