Iran’s state arms exporter proposes crypto payments for weapons sales, highlighting sanction evasion risks and growing concerns for global regulators.
Iran’s overseas arms export agency has proposed accepting crypto for advanced weapons sales, according to a Financial Times report. The proposal involves missiles, drones, and warships as well as barter and rial payments. Therefore, the move underscores Tehran’s continued efforts to deal with the increasing international sanctions pressure.
Iran’s Defense Export Agency Signals New Payment Channels
The proposal was disclosed by the Ministry of Defence Export Center, called Mindex. Mindex is Iran’s state-run, overseas arms exporter in the defense ministry. In addition, the agency reported having active commercial relationships with thirty-five foreign governments.
The report has said Mindex is willing to negotiate contracts with the help of digital currencies for settlement purposes. In addition, the agency accepted the barter arrangements and payments denominated in Iranian rials. This payment system was reported to have first been put forward as part of the 2025 negotiations.
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Importantly, analysts view this as one of the first acknowledgments of this kind by a nation-state to the public. In particular, it relates to the willingness to accept cryptocurrency directly for strategic hardware exports to militaries. Consequently, the announcement has generated a great deal of attention from sanctions enforcement authorities all over the world.
The official website of Mindex lists a list of more than three thousand military products. These include ballistic missiles, rockets, ammunition, drones, hovercrafts, and aviation-based systems. Furthermore, archived records and technical infrastructure examination ensured the website’s authenticity.
The agency issued sanctions concerns directly on its online platform. This said, there is nothing wrong with establishing contracts even if there are international restrictions. As a result, Mindex stated that the products purchased would be delivered to buyers as fast as possible.
Iran has used cryptocurrencies more in order to sidestep Western financial restrictions in recent years. Therefore, digital assets have emerged as the tools of authorized entities who are looking for an alternative channel for settlement. Blockchain analytics companies estimate that sanctioned jurisdictions received around 15.8 billion dollars in cryptocurrency in 2024.
Sanctions Pressure and Rising Crypto Risks for Buyers
Meanwhile, Washington has hit time and again networks with links to Iran’s defense ministry operations. These encompassed procurement fronts and facilitators for weapons and drone exports. As a result, foreign buyers who engage via such channels are faced with serious risks of secondary sanctions.
Recent United States designations have also targeted alleged Iranian structures of shadow banking. Officials had accused these crypto-linked networks of transferring funds in oil and weapons transactions. Therefore, buyers who are using digital assets to pay for Mindex can come under increased regulatory attention.
United Nations sanctions on Iran were renewed in September 2025. These include renewed restrictions on arms transfers and military cooperation activities. Separately, the United States created further sanctions on entities involved in missile procurement networks.
In December 2025, US authorities approved a network that is involved in the cooperation between Iran and Venezuela in the field of drones. That action underscored Washington’s emphasis on transfers of military technology across the border. Accordingly, the crypto payment proposal makes compliance considerations more challenging for potential buyers.
Overall, the approach that Iran is taking is part of broader attempts to bypass traditional financial systems around the world. Such systems have primarily remained in the United States and the United Nations sanctions regime. Therefore, there are major geopolitical, legal, and financial challenges ahead with the adoption of cryptocurrency in arms trades.
Source: https://www.livebitcoinnews.com/iran-arms-export-agency-proposes-crypto-payments-for-missile-and-drone-sales/
