On October 29, Al Jazeera reported, citing Reuters, that Iran has established a vast global network of institutions to import military equipment worth at least $2 billion while circumventing U.S. Navy blockades and Western sanctions. It is reported that these over 5,000 institutions form a powerful financial and military operational system. Some of these institutions are linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, while others belong to commercial conglomerates controlled by Iran's elite, known as 'bonyads' (various foundations/business groups). Miad Maleki, a former senior official at the U.S. Treasury who was involved in designing sanctions against Iran, stated, 'This is essentially Iran's military lifeline in the current conflict—and has been for many years prior.'
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