Iran Pursues Crypto Trade to Circumvent US and UN Sanctions
Iranian officials and private sector representatives have said Tehran is exploring the use of digital currencies to sidestep US and UN sanctions, urging India and other BRICS partners to conduct bilateral trade using digital assets. The government describes the move as a practical measure to keep imports and exports flowing despite limitations on correspondent banking and conventional payment channels.
If adopted at scale, such arrangements could accelerate crypto adoption in sanctioned economies and complicate enforcement of existing sanctions regimes. The shift would present fresh AML and compliance challenges for counterparties, exchanges and banks, and could invite closer scrutiny or secondary measures from Western regulators. Traders, compliance teams and policymakers will be watching whether informal crypto corridors can materially blunt the impact of coordinated sanctions or prompt tighter global oversight.