Iran and the Network for Circumventing Sanctions

By Max Coutinho

When it comes to circumventing sanctions, Iran must be the most creative country in the world. No other State beats it because while North Korea relies on China to bypass international punitive measures, Tehran relies solely on its wit and its close and loyal partner: Hezbollah, the Lebanese Party of Allah.

The Trump Administration pulled the US from the Iran Deal (signed in 2015) and put Tehran back on the Sanctions list; the Iranians cried foul; the Europeans created (practically unsuccessfully) mechanisms to help Iran violate the sanctions imposed by America; the Revolutionary Islamic State is not happy about it and is now threatening to also pull from the Deal plus re-starting its nuclear programme (which we all know it never stopped).

Now, the Ayatollahs are playing a game: let’s pretend Trump’s sanctions are actually working and step up plan B.

The Plan B

This plan is not new: we have already spoken of it Here and Here. Notwithstanding, we bring more information this time. When President Obama imposed Sanctions on Iran, in the period of 2011-2013, then President Ahmadinejad travelled throughout Africa to negotiate with Uranium producing African States – they would provide the Uranium and Iran would provide funds for “development”. Simultaneously, it was suspected that Saudi Arabia was playing a double game at the time by selling fuel to Iran while siding with President Obama (NB: remember the political context was much different than today’s and Barack Obama was perceived as a weak president by ME leaders). But there was a third stage of Plan B that wasn’t sufficiently discussed: the role played by the Lebanese, around the world, in assisting Iran to bypass any and every sanction.

The Lebanese Octopus

When one thinks of Lebanese businessmen in Africa, in Latin America, in Europe, in Asia and practically everywhere, one thinks of Hezbollah. However, not all Lebanese entrepreneurs are members of the Party of Allah, although they work for them either directly or indirectly (there is a common practise in the Lebanese and Pakistani community: blackmail. They will force members of the community to cooperate with terror groups lest their relatives are killed back home). For purposes of investigation, one must always assume a Lebanese business person is working for Hezbollah, either voluntarily or involuntarily. Imagine how many of such people there are around the world, in one’s country, in one’s state, district, neighbourhood, building and you can begin to understand the range of the Lebanese Octopus’ tentacles.

Once upon a time, the Lebanese were very well established in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in the diamond mining industry; then Joseph Kabila came and kicked them out. They then focused on Zambia and Angola where they continued to strengthen their African position. Today, Angolan ruling elites are in the hands of these Lebanese elements and even the Kwanza (that is out of reach for a common Angolan) is under the Lebanese control. In Zambia, they keep a very low profile and seem to only observe and take notes of what is going on in the region – Zambia borders both the DRC and Angola.

Now, the Lebanese control the diamond industry in Angola. They may even be behind the Angolan State’s reluctance in allowing big mining companies to explore diamond mines in the territory (it was believed that 90% of the Angolan diamond reserves remained unexplored – why would a poor country do this? Either the ruling elites are hiding something or someone else is already exploring it in a non-official capacity). Those diamonds leave Angola through mules: Angolan, Portuguese, Brazilian, Moroccan, Lebanese, Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese…etc.

Isabel dos Santos, the daughter of President Emeritus José Eduardo dos Santos, acquired De Grisogono, a Luxury Jewellery company founded by Lebanese-Italian Fawaz Gruosi. Her brother, Zenú dos Santos, is also highly connected to the Lebanese – his closest partner, recently released from jail in Luanda, is a suspected Lebanese (he claims to be a Portuguese-Angolan, even though in Angola no one can find records of his African relatives). Some of the Top Brass of this African country’s Military is also in business with Lebanese/Hezbollah elements who hold Angolan passports and travel back and forth to Brazil, Dubai, Morocco, South Africa and Mozambique (to name a few).

Is the picture starting to form in your mind? Let’s add more ingredients to it then: the Lebanese/Hezbollah have penetrated the Portuguese Financial Sector through the following banks: BCP Millennium, Montepio, BNI Europe, BIC Europe, BAE (Banco Atlântico Europa) via Portuguese and Angolan front-men. How come the Portuguese authorities act as if they don’t know it? Which local powerful figures are in this business of endangering Portugal’s National Security?

The Lebanese Octopus’ tentacles are spreading. What’s the goal?

The Goal: Bypassing Sanctions

On the political level, sanctions are in effect and even the French President threatened to imposed more punitive measures if Iran leaves the Nuclear Deal, even if partially. Tehran is not worried about this threat because it knows their back is covered by the Lebanese Piovra. Their position in European Banks, their stake in Western businesses, the fees collected from Lebanese small businesses, commissions obtained through illicit businesses around the globe and the yield generated by the kickbacks paid to politicians (to pass laws that benefit them) is guarantee enough that they shall not want.

Conclusion

The Iranian Plan started somewhere between 1985 and 1987 - they had time to prepare. Hence, political solutions won’t do the trick and political assassinations alone won’t fix the problem either – because you decapitate one leader today, tomorrow another one will be put in place (Islamists are like mushrooms). Thus, the only solution is to create such an environment that will encourage idoneous States to fight Hezbollah within their borders by going after everybody in the network (national or otherwise) – and this is not a difficult thing to do, once states adopt the Brazilian and the Caribbean policy of accepting the assistance of Independent Investigations (who have access to high quality intelligence).

This regime must be strangled for good.

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