Iran's Secret Oil Money Network Exposed: Billions Vanish Amidst Interpol Investigation

The Iranian government's secret oil money network has been rocked by revelations that billions of dollars have gone missing, sparking investigations and Interpol red notices for suspects.

According to officials, intermediaries handling state funds had misappropriated large sums, with some fleeing the country. Zabihollah Khodaeian, head of Iran's State Inspection Organization, said one intermediary alone had failed to return $200 million before absconding.

The trustee arrangement emerged as a workaround after sanctions cut Iranian banks off from the global financial system. Tehran turned to trusted intermediaries with access to foreign accounts to collect and transfer oil revenues, often through countries such as the UAE, Turkey and Oman.

Critics have questioned how such large sums could disappear without accountability, with Majid Reza Hariri, head of the Iran-China Chamber of Commerce, asking 'Who introduced these trusties? Who guaranteed them? And why is no action being taken against those who backed them?'