Economy
IRGC currency networks in UAE exposed for sanctions evasion
UAE uncovers IRGC's secret Dubai currency exchange network, halting billions in illicit funds that finance global terror and missile projects.
![A man sits by a screen displaying stock indices at the Dubai Financial Market (DFM) stock exchange in Dubai on March 4, 2026. [Fadel Senna / AFP]](/gc1/images/2026/05/18/55983-dubai_exchange-600_384.webp)
By Noureddine Omar |
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) actively pursues currency exchange hubs utilized by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) for money laundering and transfer.
These illicit funds finance the IRGC's critical foreign agendas, supporting their controversial nuclear program and essential ballistic missile projects.
Financial backing flows to IRGC proxies, enabling them to acquire weapons and raw materials for manufacturing explosives, drones, and missiles.
These exchange networks were established in Dubai specifically to evade international sanctions by laundering billions derived from petrochemical and oil sales.
Operations rely on an interconnected chain of moneychangers–"sarrafeen"using thousands of fictitious business fronts and shell companies registered in UAE free zones.
The main objective is to obscure any transactional link between these funds and sanctioned entities like the IRGC's Quds Force.
"The IRGC utilizes legitimate and illicit currency exchange companies across the UAE to launder and transfer funds for its activities," retired Emirati army officer Abdullah al-Ameri told Al-Fassel.
"The simple operation involves a sender depositing cash at a Sarraf [money changer] in one city for a secret code, which the recipient receives," he explained.
The recipient then provides this code to a counterpart Sarraf in another city to collect the equivalent funds, minus a commission, he added.
Rigorous scrutiny and focused intelligence gathering ultimately expose these discreet transactions, leading to arrests and identification of worldwide front companies affiliated with the IRGC.
Authorities subsequently intercept funds channeled back to the Iranian regime or used to procure prohibited weapons and materials for proxies across the Middle East.
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A trivial article
What is there left to say? Iran is not an exporter of revolution; rather, it is a destabilizing force in the region. Ever since the accursed Khomeini arrived in Iran, he weaved conspiracies against Arab nations. Their target is not Israel, but the Arab states and the Islamic world. May Allah's curse be upon them—they are swine, dogs, filth, criminals, and villains. Look at what they have done in Syria, what they have done in Iraq, and what they have done in Yemen and Lebanon. They are truly wicked, murderers, criminals, and evildoers.
Iran is a terrorist state that is undermining stability in the region.
May Israel not succeed, God willing
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May God’s curse be upon Iran and those who support it, may God suffice them
And why did the UAE turn a blind eye to all this financial activity throughout the preceding historical period, which destroyed the Arab nation, spanning from Iraq to Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Yemen, Libya, Sudan, Egypt, Somalia, and beyond? Ultimately, this destruction even reached the various Gulf states themselves, until the words of the Prophet upon him be the finest of prayers and peace were fulfilled: "Whoever aids an oppressor, Allah will give that oppressor power over him."
May Allah safeguard the country, its people, and the Arab nations. We pray that Allah protects all countries, and especially the UAE, a nation made strong by its leadership and its people. May it forever remain free, proud, and powerful. The UAE consistently upholds the rights of its citizens with the utmost order and integrity; thus, any measures or laws it enacts are designed to prevent chaos, manipulation, and exploitation. These are clear regulations established for the benefit of the people. May Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, shield the nation from corruption, injustice, and tyranny. Our only hope is that Allah protects every country, ensuring that no nation suffers the tragic fate that befell Syria, for whenever foreign hands interfere, the country is lost. May Allah protect the UAE, its people, its territory, and its President - O Lord of the Worlds.
May Allah safeguard the country, its people, and the Arab nations. Allah wlling, the Almighty will protect all countries, and especially the UAE. The Emirates stands strong through its leadership and its people; may it forever remain free, proud, and mighty.