Iran Uses 5,000 Secret Agencies to Evade US Sanctions

An investigation by Reuters and 240 Analytics revealed that Iran operates a secret procurement network of over 5,000 military agencies to bypass Western sanctions and a U.S. naval blockade. These agencies, identified by the prefix MOD, share a Tehran address with the Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics and utilize foreign shell companies and intermediaries to import military hardware, explosives, and heavy-duty trucks.

Between January 2025 and June 2026, the network imported at least $2 billion in critical materials. A single agency, MOD 346428, was responsible for $2.3 billion in imports, including rocket propellants and Iveco trucks used as mobile missile launchers. Supplies originated primarily from China, Russia, and Germany, with some shipments arriving via the European Union and Central Asia. Records show $27 million in goods arrived from the United Arab Emirates during a temporary suspension of the naval blockade.

The network is linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and state-controlled bonyads, such as Bonyad Mostazafan, which owns Sina Port and Marine Services Development Co. The system also supports Sahara Thunder, a sanctioned drone manufacturer. These operations have allowed Iran to replenish its missile and drone arsenals during an ongoing conflict that began on February 28, 2026. This evidence contradicts claims by the United States Department of the Treasury that sanctions have severed the regime's economic lifelines.