Conflict & Security
Reuters probe reveals Iran's 5,000-entity network importing military equipment under blockade
October 29, 2026 at 05:28 PM
A Reuters investigation has revealed a hidden Iranian network of more than 5,000 entities that imported military equipment despite the US naval blockade and Western sanctions.
- Since January 2025 the network has imported at least $2 billion in military and dual-use cargo, including rocket fuel, explosives, components for drones and missiles, and heavy trucks.
- Cargo came from China, Russia and Germany, delivered by Caspian ships, Central Asian trucks and Chinese cargo planes.
- Noam Benstock, senior analyst at 240 Analytics, said the numbered entities form the "hidden infrastructure" of Iran's sanctions-evasion network.
- Former US Treasury official Mehdi Maleki said the system is the regime's "military lifeline," converting oil-sale revenue into military purchases.