Iran Looks to Crypto as Payment for Overseas Arms Sales: Report
Iran is reportedly providing to promote superior weapons techniques together with ballistic missiles, drones and warships to overseas governments for cryptocurrency, as Tehran seems for new fee rails that may slip previous Western monetary controls.
The Financial Times reported that Iran’s Ministry of Defence Export Center, identified as Mindex, is pitching offers that settle for digital currencies, whereas additionally permitting barter preparations and funds in Iranian rials.
The provide emerged over the previous yr and seems to be one of many first identified circumstances of a nation-state publicly signalling it’s going to take crypto for strategic navy exports.
Mindex Advertises Weapons Linked To Iran-Backed Groups, Report Says
Mindex says it has shopper relationships with 35 international locations, and it markets a list that features Emad ballistic missiles, Shahed drones, Shahid Soleimani-class warships and short-range air defence techniques, in accordance to the report.
Its multilingual web site additionally lists small arms, rockets and anti-ship cruise missiles, a few of which Western governments and UN reporting have linked to Iran-backed militant teams within the Middle East, the FT stated.
On the positioning, Mindex says consumers should agree to situations about how weapons could be used “throughout a struggle with one other nation”, though it provides such phrases are “negotiable between the contracting events”.
The export centre additionally operates a web-based portal and a digital chatbot, which guides potential clients by the method and addresses considerations about sanctions in an FAQ.
Sales Pitch Emerges As Crypto Aids Trade For Sanctioned Actors
The website doesn’t record costs, but it surely mentions consumers can organize fee within the vacation spot nation and it presents in-person inspection of products in Iran, topic to approval from safety authorities, in accordance to the newspaper.
The pitch lands at a second when crypto has grow to be a sensible instrument for sanctioned actors making an attempt to preserve commerce transferring, and US and European officers have stepped up enforcement towards networks that use different channels to route cash across the formal banking system.
In Sept. 2025, the US Treasury introduced sanctions concentrating on a monetary community it stated supported Iran’s navy, and it alleged using shadow banking constructions that may embrace crypto-linked schemes and abroad fronts.
Russia’s Arms Exports Slump Opens Door For Rivals
For counterparties, the dangers stay high, anybody utilizing typical finance to pay Iran can face restrictions underneath US and allied sanctions programmes, which might reduce entry to Western-linked banking and commerce companies.
Iran’s arms advertising additionally comes as the worldwide weapons commerce reshapes underneath the pressure of the Ukraine struggle. SIPRI has reported that Russia’s arms exports fell 64% between 2015 to 2019 and 2020 to 2024, and the FT stated Iran ranked 18th on the planet for main arms exports in 2024, whereas noting that Russia’s lowered capability has opened house for different suppliers.
The Atlantic Council argued in 2024 that Iran was on observe to exchange Russia as a number one arms exporter and stated Washington wants a technique to counter that pattern.
The put up Iran Looks to Crypto as Payment for Overseas Arms Sales: Report appeared first on Cryptonews.
