Iranian officials acknowledge that billions of dollars in oil revenue have disappeared through secret “trustee” networks, exposing the scale of corruption behind the regime’s sanctions-evasion system. Officials Admit Billions of Dollars Have DisappearedFor years, senior Iranian regime officials dismissed international sanctions as ineffective while portraying them as an opportunity for economic resilience. At the same time, a privileged network of sanctions profiteers amassed enormous fortunes through opaque financial channels established to circumvent banking restrictions. The trustee system was deliberately designed to avoid international scrutiny by moving money through unofficial channels beyond the reach of sanctions. Corruption Embedded in the Sanctions EconomyThe admissions by senior officials underscore what critics have long argued: the regime’s sanctions-evasion system has evolved into an entrenched economy of secrecy, patronage, and corruption.