Cash for Tehran: Russia secretly transferred almost 5 tons of cash worth $2.5 billion to Iran to circumvent sanctions
Kyiv • UNN
The Russian "Promsvyazbank" transferred almost 5 tons of cash worth $2.5 billion to the Central Bank of Iran. This helped Tehran maintain economic stability under US sanctions.
The Telegraph has exposed a large-scale scheme of hidden financial support for the Iranian regime by the Kremlin. According to customs documents obtained, the Russian state-owned Promsvyazbank transferred almost five tons of cash banknotes to the Central Bank of Iran, which helped Tehran maintain economic stability amid harsh US sanctions. This is reported by UNN.
Details
The secret operation began in August 2018, just a week after Donald Trump imposed sanctions against Iran. Over four months, 34 massive cash deliveries were made. The money was likely transported by train to the port of Astrakhan, then shipped across the Caspian Sea to the Iranian port of Amirabad, and further by rail to Tehran.
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Each shipment was valued between $57 million and $115 million. Experts suggest that 500-euro banknotes were primarily used to reduce weight and volume, although the value of the cargo was recorded in US dollars in the documents. At that time, Promsvyazbank was managed by Petro Fradkov, the son of the former head of Russian intelligence, who is currently under international sanctions.
Geopolitical risks and modern context
Analysts warn that similar cash transfers may continue today, especially amid Iran's active supply of Shahed-136 drones and ballistic missiles for Russia's war against Ukraine. Cash allows regimes to avoid tracking through the SWIFT system and finance military purchases or the activities of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
In early 2026, as Iran is again engulfed in mass protests, the Kremlin views the survival of the theocratic regime as a critically important priority. Experts note that Moscow is ready to use any ingenious methods to support its ally, as the collapse of the ayatollahs' regime would be a serious geopolitical defeat for Russia and the loss of a key partner in the war against Ukraine.