Iran Sanctions Fuel Lucrative Oil Trade for Security-linked Elite

International sanctions against Iran have created lucrative financial channels for those linked to the country's security institutions, generating substantial profits.

Investigative journalist Yashar Soltani alleged that the Ministry of Petroleum has lost control of marketing and exporting Iranian oil, handing it over to an exclusive network of four brokers who circumvent international sanctions.

The network has made an estimated $1.5 billion from discounts granted on 80 million barrels of oil sold over three months, according to Soltani.