{
  "id": 9547223,
  "title": "Iranian elite profiting from oil sanctions",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/iranian-elite-profiting-from-oil-sanctions",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-24T11:31:11.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Middle East Eye",
    "slug": "middle-east-eye",
    "url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/iranian-elite-profiting-oil-sanctions"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Iranian officials linked to the country's security apparatus are profiting from international sanctions imposed on Iran, alleges a local newspaper. Yashar Soltani, an investigative journalist who has faced jail time for his reporting on financial corruption, claims that the Ministry of Petroleum has relinquished control over the marketing and exportation of Iran's national oil to a select group of four brokers. These brokers are circumventing the sanctions to maximize their financial gains. Soltani states that the brokers have a vested interest in preventing political agreements between Tehran and Washington from being lifted, as this would effectively dismantle the structure of their operations. According to Soltani, Mohammad Javad Bavand, a former economic deputy at the intelligence agency of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, is managing the sale of Iranian oil. Over the last three months, Bavand has granted four brokers the rights to sell a total of 80 million barrels of oil.",
  "summary": "Iranian elite profiting from oil sanctions International sanctions against Iran have created lucrative financial channels, generating substantial profits for people linked to the country's security institutions, local media has reported. Yashar Soltani, an Iranian investigative journalist, alleged that the Ministry of Petroleum has lost control of marketing and exporting the country's national…",
  "key_points": [
    "Iranian officials profit from sanctions, claims investigative journalist Yashar Soltani",
    "Ministry of Petroleum relinquishes control to four brokers, circumventing sanctions",
    "Mohammad Javad Bavand, ex-economic deputy of IRGC, manages oil sales to brokers"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Hindustan Times - World News",
        "title": "UAE suspends all Iranian airline flights amid US sanctions: Report",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/uae-suspends-all-iranian-airline-flights-amid-us-sanctions-report",
        "published": "2026-09-24T10:12:19.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}