- Iran’s government-run export organization for defense sales has started to accept payments in cryptocurrency in order to avoid sanctions imposed by the West.
- This policy impacts advanced military technology, including missiles, drones, and warships, and is another strategy being employed by Tehran to avoid sanctions.
The move, according to various local Iranian media sources, has been initiated by the Iranian government, which now permits foreign governments to purchase sophisticated equipment from the Iranian Defence Ministry using cryptocurrency. The project is led by the Ministry of Defence Export Center, or Mindex, a government entity tasked with the export of arms to foreign nations, and is the first publicly known case of a government supporting an arms transaction through the use of cryptocurrency.
Peruse Mindex’s official documentation, which has been analyzed by international media, and it appears that payment options include cryptocurrencies as well as barter trade and the Iranian fiat. The list of Iranian-manufactured goods available on their website includes Emad ballistic missiles, Shahed drones, Shahid Soleimani warships, and short-range surface-to-air defense systems.
While prices are not publicly posted, the exporter’s platform says that contracts can be completed without problems despite the sanctions and that in-person product inspections are available in Iran, subject to security approval.
Sanctions Drive Alternative Transactions
As Iran faces sanctions that hinder access to the global banking system, it has been observed to rely on cryptocurrency to promote its global trading and military sales activities. Iranian nuclear and military activities have had a previous serious history in engaging with transactions using digital currencies to enable global trading, including oil trading, and this led to sanctions in 2025 against individuals associated with “shadow banking” cryptocurrency networks managed by the U.S. Treasury.
Despite the legal and regulatory contradictions, domestic engagement with cryptocurrencies in Iran continues to grow. Estimates have suggested that millions of Iranians are active in crypto trading, while inbound digital asset volumes have risen year-over-year. The number of users of local exchanges like Bit24, Excoino, and Nobitex has grown, even if enforcement pressures vary.
Still, Iran’s internal regulatory landscape remains complex—separate developments have shown efforts to rein in or ban certain crypto transactions within the country at various times, a reminder of ongoing tension between economic necessity and regulatory control.
However, the Iranian willingness to receive payment in cryptocurrency for their exports of weapons indicates a paradigm shift in how nations facing sanctions are looking to conduct their international trade. The Iranian government is pushing the boundaries of the sanctions imposed on it by testing and beginning to explore other avenues via the adoption and integration of digital assets. This move is bound to receive more focus and attention from international regulatory bodies, as it calls into question the efficacy of the current sanctions.
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