Money Laundering, A Mechanism for Exporting Terrorism and Violating Human Rights

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its Quds Force have built a sophisticated global network to fund terrorism, destabilize nations, and commit human rights violations. These operations are not random acts of financial misconduct but a deliberate and systematic strategy to sustain a regime built on repression and violence.

Having personally endured the brutality of the Islamic Republic’s rule, I have dedicated my life to exposing its tactics and advocating for justice. My efforts contributed to the closure of the Islamic Republic’s embassy in Canada, and I have worked extensively to highlight how the IRGC manipulates financial systems to advance its objectives.

It is imperative to recognize that money laundering through business is not merely an economic crime—it is a direct enabler of terrorism, oppression, and geopolitical instability. The international community, including governments, financial institutions, and corporations, must take decisive action to dismantle these networks and hold perpetrators accountable.

Corporate Due Diligence: A Critical Defense Against Terror Financing
Transnational corporations play a pivotal role in preventing terrorist financing by ensuring stringent due diligence in their operations. Due diligence involves comprehensive scrutiny of financial transactions, business partnerships, and supply chains to prevent direct or indirect involvement in illicit activities.

When corporations fail to exercise due diligence, they risk becoming unwitting enablers of terrorist organizations such as the IRGC’s Qods Force. The IRGC and its affiliates exploit weak regulatory frameworks and business environments to funnel billions of dollars through front companies, shell corporations, and fraudulent financial schemes.

Governments and businesses must adopt and enforce rigorous anti-money laundering (AML) measures, conduct thorough background checks on all partners, and adhere to international human rights and financial transparency standards. Failure to do so not only strengthens terrorist networks but also undermines global security and economic stability.

How the IRGC Uses Business to Finance Terrorism

The IRGC’s Quds Force, responsible for operations beyond Iran’s borders, directs a vast financial apparatus that sustains terror organizations, including Hezbollah, Hamas, and various militant factions across the Middle East and beyond. This is achieved through:

Legitimate and front companies: The IRGC operates within key sectors such as construction, energy, telecommunications, and banking, using these industries to generate and launder funds.

Illicit trade and smuggling: Arms trafficking, drug smuggling, and black-market transactions serve as additional revenue streams to finance militant activities.

Exploitation of global financial systems: Corrupt banking practices, fraudulent investments, and tax evasion allow the IRGC to bypass international sanctions and move money discreetly.

These operations are not limited to Iran. The IRGC’s financial influence extends across Africa, South America, Europe, and North America, leveraging weak regulatory environments to conceal its activities.

IRGC-Qods Force and Its Proxies: A Global Security Threat

The IRGC does not operate in isolation. Its proxies, funded through laundered money, serve as direct instruments of terror and destabilization:

Lebanon (Hezbollah): Funded and armed by the IRGC, Hezbollah has waged attacks worldwide, engaged in organized crime, and played a central role in suppressing political opposition in Lebanon.

Syria (Support for the Assad Regime): The IRGC’s intervention in Syria has fueled a war responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths and a humanitarian catastrophe.

Iraq (Militia Groups): IRGC-backed militias have targeted civilians, journalists, and political opponents, undermining Iraq’s sovereignty.

Yemen (Houthi Rebels): The IRGC has provided financial and military support to the Houthis, escalating regional tensions and exacerbating one of the worst humanitarian crises in modern history.

These proxies function as the IRGC’s extended arm, carrying out assassinations, military operations, and ideological warfare while being sustained by illicit financial flows.

A Comprehensive International Response Is Urgently Required

To dismantle the IRGC’s financial networks and prevent further destabilization, a multi-pronged strategy must be implemented:

1. Strengthening Financial Oversight and Enforcement
Governments must impose stricter AML regulations, particularly targeting sectors vulnerable to financial exploitation.
Financial institutions must be held accountable for facilitating transactions linked to the IRGC or its affiliates.

2. Expanding and Enforcing Sanctions
The IRGC and its Qods Force must be fully sanctioned, with no loopholes that allow them to operate under alternative names or through front companies.
Countries and businesses found to be complicit in facilitating these activities must face severe economic and diplomatic repercussions.

3. Corporate Accountability and Risk Mitigation
Corporations must implement strict due diligence protocols to ensure they do not unknowingly support terrorist financing.

High-risk industries, including banking, construction, and energy, must establish independent compliance mechanisms to prevent infiltration by illicit actors.

4. Strengthening International Intelligence and Law Enforcement Cooperation
Intelligence-sharing between governments must be expanded to identify and disrupt IRGC financial operations.

Law enforcement agencies should coordinate efforts to track and prosecute individuals and entities involved in laundering funds for terror activities.

Conclusion: The Cost of Inaction

The IRGC’s ability to manipulate financial systems for illicit purposes poses a direct threat to global security. Money laundering through business operations is not a victimless crime—it enables terrorism, fuels conflict, and supports regimes that commit grave human rights abuses.

The international community must recognize the urgency of this threat and take decisive action to dismantle the IRGC’s financial networks. Governments, corporations, and financial institutions bear a responsibility to ensure that they do not, knowingly or unknowingly, contribute to the financing of terror and oppression.

Without immediate and coordinated intervention, the IRGC will continue to expand its influence, destabilize regions, and threaten the fundamental principles of justice and security worldwide. Now is the time for bold and uncompromising action.