The Iranian government has publicly acknowledged that private intermediaries tasked with selling the country's oil are currently withholding billions of dollars in revenue. These intermediaries were employed as a workaround to bypass international sanctions that have severely restricted Iran's ability to export oil through conventional banking and shipping channels. By utilizing private entities, the state aimed to maintain a flow of income despite global pressure.

However, the system has resulted in significant financial discrepancies. The government now faces the challenge of reclaiming these funds, which are essential for the state budget. Analysts suggest that the opaque nature of these transactions—necessary to avoid detection by international regulators—has made it difficult to track the money or hold the intermediaries accountable. While the government frames the issue as a collection of outstanding debts, critics and economic observers point to the inherent risks of relying on a shadow network of private actors to conduct national trade. The lack of formal oversight in these deals has created a situation where billions of dollars in oil proceeds remain unaccounted for, sparking internal debate about the effectiveness and risks of the current sanctions-evasion strategy.