It is reported that Iran is preparing to accept cryptocurrency as a payment method in arms export transactions. This move is seen as the latest development in Iran's ongoing efforts to circumvent the international financial system under long-term sanctions from the United States and Western countries, and is also a rare instance of a state-level public statement expressing willingness to conduct arms transactions with digital assets.
Starting in 2025, policies will be released to include cryptocurrency as a payment option in arms sales.
According to reports , the Iranian Ministry of Defense's "Defence Export Center" (Mindex) has stated that it is ready to accept cryptocurrency payments in military arms contracts.
Mindex points out that in addition to digital currencies, settlements can also be made through barter or the Iranian rial. This payment arrangement, first proposed in 2025, has been described by foreign media as one of the few known cases of a state publicly expressing its willingness to use cryptocurrency as consideration for arms exports.
The full details of the arms sales program have been revealed, including missiles, warships, and ammunition.
Mindex, Iran's official overseas defense sales agency, reportedly maintains customer relationships with approximately 35 countries. Its official website publicly showcases a variety of military products, including:
Ballistic missiles and rocket systems.
Various types of ammunition.
Military hovercraft and other military equipment.
The relevant contracts are all dominated by the state-owned system and are part of Iran's military exports.
As Western sanctions continue to escalate, Iran is turning to digital assets and barter.
For a long time, the United States, Britain, and the European Union have imposed broad sanctions on Iran, covering its nuclear weapons and missile programs, oil industry, and access to the international banking system. These restrictions have forced Iran to gradually rely on barter trade and digital assets such as Bitcoin as alternative means of payment.
Just last month, the United States announced sanctions against 29 ships belonging to the "Shadow Fleet," accusing them of assisting Iran in secretly transporting oil and petroleum products to circumvent sanctions.
Iran stated its position directly on its official website, saying there were no problems with implementing the agreement.
Despite the escalating sanctions, Mindex has explicitly stated on its official website that there are no obstacles to the execution of the relevant arms sales contracts. Mindex wrote on its website:
"Given the Islamic Republic of Iran's overall policy of circumventing sanctions, there will be no problem fulfilling the contract. Your purchased products will be delivered in the shortest possible time."
This text is seen as a clear signal from the Iranian government that it has made circumventing sanctions part of its institutionalized arrangements.
For years, there have been indications that cryptocurrency has become a tool for Iran's shadow banking system.
In fact, Iran has been using cryptocurrencies to circumvent Western sanctions for several years. The U.S. Treasury Department has pointed out that these operations have formed a larger-scale "shadow financial network."
Back in August 2022, Alireza Peyman-Pak , Iran's Deputy Minister of Industry, Mining and Trade, stated that Iran had completed its first import order paid for in cryptocurrency, using $10 million worth of cryptocurrency.
In September 2025, the U.S. Treasury Department named two Iranian nationals, alleging that between 2023 and 2025, they assisted in handling over $100 million in transactions involving Bitcoin and other digital assets, used for the transfer of funds related to Iranian government oil sales. U.S. officials believe these cases represent only a small part of Iran's overall underground financial system, and its actual scale continues to expand.
The public disclosure of cryptocurrency settlement mechanisms remains to be seen; future developments are yet to be observed.
With Iran's official defense export agency openly accepting cryptocurrency as a payment method for arms sales, it shows that the role of digital assets in circumventing sanctions in Iran has gradually moved from being a supplementary tool to becoming public and institutionalized.
With Western sanctions remaining in place, how Iran utilizes cryptocurrencies and alternative settlement mechanisms will continue to be a focus of close attention for the international community and regulatory authorities.
(By circumventing sanctions, Iran pays for its first $10 million import order with cryptocurrency)
This article, titled "Iran's Plan to Accept Cryptocurrency Transactions for Weapon Exports, Publicizing its Sanctions Avoidance Strategy," first appeared on ABMedia, a ABMedia .
