Russia paid part of Iranian "Shaheds" in gold bars - investigation
Russia has transferred at least 1.8 tonnes of gold bars worth about $104 million to the Iranian company Sahara Thunder as payment for Shahed-136 drones. The drones were assembled in the Alabuga Special Economic Zone in Tatarstan.
This is stated in the report of the American analytical group C4ADS, which gained access to the contract between the parties, The Washington Post reports, Censor.NET informs.
In early 2024, hackers from the Prana Network made publicly available 10 gigabytes of files from Sahara Thunder, which is under US sanctions. According to the documents, on 16 March 2023, the parties signed an agreement to supply 1,788 kg of gold at a price of $58.32 per gram. An additional contract dated 5 April provides for another 2,067 kg of gold, but the details of this delivery remain unknown. It is also unknown whether this gold has been delivered.
The authors of the report explain that payment in gold allowed the company to avoid payments in US dollars, which could have been blocked by US Treasury sanctions. In addition, such a payment ensures greater anonymity.
In addition to gold, Russia also paid for the "shaheds" in dirhams, the UAE currency. The money was transferred to a bank account in Dubai. It is noted that the parties used the UAE's free trade zones.
The report also states that Iranian companies, including SAS, which is under US sanctions, could use cryptocurrencies for payments, as evidenced by leaked emails. According to one of the emails, which relates to the visit of self-proclaimed Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to Iran in March 2023, SAS offered to pay for airport services with the Tether cryptocurrency.
The article says that Sahara Thunder, which was subject to US sanctions for assisting in the supply of Iranian drones to Russia, is considered a cover for Iran's military structures. Shortly after the US imposed sanctions on Sahara Thunder, the company began the process of liquidation. However, it is likely that a new legal entity will take its place.
The publication writes that the supply route for the purchased drones ran through the Iranian port of Amirabad, from where the equipment was delivered to Makhachkala via the Caspian Sea.
