Financial Times reported that Iran’s Ministry of Defence Export Center (Mindex) has proposed accepting cryptocurrency payments for the sale of advanced military equipment to foreign governments, alongside traditional barter arrangements and payments in Iranian rials.
The disclosure highlights how digital assets may be entering state-level defense trade amid sanctions and restricted access to the global financial system.
Mindex, which operates as Iran’s state-run overseas arms exporter, listed a range of weapons available for sale, including ballistic missiles, drones, and warships, according to the report.
The organization claims to have clients in 35 countries, suggesting a broad international footprint despite Iran’s long-standing isolation from Western defense markets.
The Financial Times said it independently verified the authenticity of Mindex’s website, using archived internet records, domain registration data, and technical infrastructure analysis. These checks confirmed the platform was linked to Iranian state defense entities rather than being an impersonation or misinformation campaign.
Analysts say the proposal to accept cryptocurrency reflects Iran’s continued efforts to circumvent international sanctions, particularly those limiting access to U.S.-dollar clearing systems and conventional cross-border banking.
Digital assets, which can be transferred without reliance on correspondent banks, have increasingly been viewed by sanctioned states as alternative settlement tools for trade and procurement.
However, experts caution that large-scale weapons transactions using cryptocurrency would still face significant traceability risks, as many blockchains allow transaction monitoring and forensic analysis. This could expose counterparties to secondary sanctions or international enforcement actions.
The reported offer comes amid growing global concern over the use of crypto in illicit finance, including sanctions evasion, arms trafficking, and state-backed operations.
Western regulators have repeatedly warned that while crypto does not provide complete anonymity, it can complicate enforcement efforts when paired with complex laundering techniques.
Iran has previously explored crypto mining and digital asset usage as part of its economic strategy under sanctions, but this marks one of the clearest indications yet of a formal proposal to integrate cryptocurrency into sovereign weapons exports.
Neither Iran’s Ministry of Defence nor Mindex has publicly commented on the Financial Times report.
If confirmed, the move would represent a significant escalation in the use of digital assets within geopolitically sensitive trade, raising fresh questions for regulators, intelligence agencies, and global financial watchdogs.