Iran’s hidden web of military agencies is slipping hardware past the US blockade
Iran has used a secret network of more than 5,000 military agencies to import at least $2 billion worth of equipment, explosives and heavy-duty trucks since January 2025. Bypassing Western sanctions and the US naval blockade, the covert supply chain relies on foreign intermediaries, shell companies, oil revenues, and business conglomerates known as bonyads. Shipping and banking records reveal these entities operate under names starting with the letters MOD, for the Ministry of Defense, while procuring components for Shahed drones and missile materials worldwide.
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- ✓ Iran has imported at least $2 billion in military supplies, explosives and heavy-duty trucks since January 2025.
- ✓ A network of more than 5,000 secret military agencies operates behind names starting with the letters MOD for the Ministry of Defense.
- ✓ Military-linked buyers used oil revenues and foreign intermediaries to keep supplies flowing during the war.
- ✓ Some entities in the network are tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and bonyads controlled by Iran's elite.
What changed
A published Reuters investigation exposed the scale of Iran's covert procurement network and its use of over 5,000 agencies to bypass sanctions.
Live updates
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Iran Military Supply Web Bypasses US Blockade
Iran has used a secret network of more than 5,000 military agencies to import at least $2 billion worth of equipment, explosives and heavy-duty trucks since January 2025. Bypassing Western sanctions and the US naval blockade, the covert supply chain relies on foreign intermediaries, shell companies, oil revenues, and business conglomerates known as bonyads. Shipping and banking records reveal these entities operate under names starting with the letters MOD, for the Ministry of Defense, while procuring components for Shahed drones and missile materials worldwide.
Why it matters
The operation highlights major vulnerabilities in Western containment strategies against Tehran's military build-up. The vast ecosystem spans global intermediaries and utilizes financial footprints dating back to 2016 to sustain the supply chain during wartime. Miad Maleki, a former senior official at the US Treasury Department who helped design American sanctions, described the setup as the complete ecosystem of the Iranian military's trade business.
What is confirmed
- Iran has imported at least $2 billion in military supplies, explosives and heavy-duty trucks since January 2025.
- A network of more than 5,000 secret military agencies operates behind names starting with the letters MOD for the Ministry of Defense.
- Military-linked buyers used oil revenues and foreign intermediaries to keep supplies flowing during the war.
- Some entities in the network are tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and bonyads controlled by Iran's elite.
What to watch next
- Additional disclosures from shipping and banking records detailing specific foreign intermediaries involved in the supply chain
- Potential US or Western regulatory responses targeting the newly identified MOD-linked agencies and bonyads
confidence 100%Sources used for this update (26)
- www.timesofisrael.com — The Times of Israel | News from Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish ...
- www.jpost.com — The Jerusalem Post - All News from the Middle East, Israel, and...
- www.marketscreener.com — Global Stocks Fall on Higher Oil Prices, AI Pullback | MarketScreener
- cyprus-mail.com — Gen Z protests sweep Europe as young people demand change
- Reuters — Iran’s hidden web of military agencies is slipping hardware past the US blockade
- Iran International — Iran imports at least $2 billion in military supplies despite US blockade - Reuters
- Apa.az — Reuters: Iran imports over $2 billion worth of military equipment while evading sanctions
- The Times of India — Beyond US blockade: How Iran's secret 5,000+ agencies network keeps missiles flowing
- National Council of Resistance of Iran - NCRI — Iran News in Brief – October 29, 2026
- وردنا — Investigation Exposes Iran's Military 'Lifeline' Amid Sanctions
- www.iranintl.com — Iran imports at least $2 billion in military supplies despite US blockade - Reuters
- صوت الإمارات — Reuters: A network of 5,000 secret entities in Iran to circumvent sanctions and import military equipment
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