Son of former Iranian defense minister supplies Russia with quarter of Iranian-made weapons - Bloomberg
Iranian businessman Hossein Shamkhani owns a business that provides a quarter of Iranian arms supplies to Russia. He plays a key role in the sale of Iranian weapons to the Kremlin.
This was reported by Bloomberg with reference to sources, Censor.NET informs.
Hossein Shamkhani is the son of former Iranian Defense Minister Ali Shamkhani, who currently serves as an adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
According to Bloomberg's sources, Shamkhani Jr. is a member of a group of businessmen who supply Russia with weapons through the Caspian Sea. It is noted that he plays a "key role" in the sale of Iranian weapons to Russia.
Shamkhani Jr. owns a network of companies that export oil and oil products from Iran and Russia through countries that have not joined the sanctions. His business also includes a hedge fund with offices in London, Geneva, and Singapore and a fleet of dozens of vessels, including tankers and cargo ships.
Bloomberg writes that in 2023, a network of companies linked to Shamkhani, including Dubai-based Crios Shipping LLC, began transporting weapons, drone parts, and dual-use goods on their ships.
Previously, the ships owned by Crios used to sail the Mediterranean and Black Sea routes. However, in the second half of last year, the ships moved to the Caspian Sea and have been sailing between Iran and Russia ever since. This year, Crios-owned ships have made at least five trips from Iranian ports to Astrakhan, Russia.
The agency's sources say that Russia is paying for these shipments with oil. It is not known how many weapons have already been delivered by ships controlled by the Shamkhani network. According to sources, the weapons were not listed in the shipping documents to avoid paper trails.
Cooperation between Russia and Iran
Iran is known to actively support Russia in its war against Ukraine. In particular, Tehran supplies Russia with Shahed drones, which the aggressor country uses to attack Ukraine.
In addition, Iran supplies Russia with other weapons and ammunition.
Earlier, Deputy Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations Robert Wood said that, according to Washington, Russia intends to raise the level of bilateral relations with Iran by concluding a comprehensive bilateral agreement. Earlier, Russia signed a similar agreement with North Korea.
