Iran Sanctions & Trade Observatory (ISTO)

Shedding light on Iran’s financial web, oligarchic networks, and sanctions bypass tactics

“Iran Sanctions & Trade Observatory (ISTO) is an independent research institution exposing Iran’s global network of front companies and financial schemes used to bypass sanctions. Through research, intelligence gathering, and collaboration, ISTO reports on illicit financial flows, money laundering, and IRGC-linked covert trade. Our mission is to enhance transparency, strengthen enforcement, and inform stakeholders about Iran’s sanctions-evasion tactics, aiming to disrupt IRGC-backed operations and support a rules-based global order.”

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  • March 5, 2025

Tracing the Murky Maze: Illicit Financial Flows from Iran and the Conceptual Ambiguity of “Illicit”

Abstract: This paper examines the complexities of tracing illicit financial flows (IFFs) originating from Iran, particularly within the context of prolonged international sanctions. It highlights the challenges in defining and measuring IFFs, especially when activities reside in the gray...

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