In our search for information and sources on the Islamic regime’s continuous efforts to circumvent the international sanctions, WikiIran has been reviewing and analyzing documents which have been leaked recently from the servers of the Turkish company ASB.

Among the documents, WikiIran has noticed one contract signed on August 26, 2021, between Mr. Sitki Ayan, the owner of the ASB, and Mr. Azim Mozavi, a senior IRGC commander. Mozavi has been subject to sanctions by the US Treasury since May 25, 2022, due to his role in IRGC’s international oil sale. Mr. Ayan, ASB and Balsam have been designated as well by the Treasury Office on December 8, 2022.

This contract, exposed here by WikiIran, shows how ASB signs a contract with Iran’s Ministry of Defense through one of the ASB's subsidiary companies, a company named “Baslam Nakliyat.” In this contract, Baslam commits to offering various services for selling the oil at its disposal, including marketing, contract negotiation and signing, sales, renting vessels, etc.

Article 7 of this contract, for instance, is about the method of how to transfer to Iran’s Ministry of Defense the payments received by Baslam in exchange for oil. This Article states that both sides agree that the money transfer would take place either in cash or via a bank transfer to banks outside Iran and Turkey.

According to this contract’s attachment, the commission fee, charged by Baslam for its sale services provided to the IRGC, would be between 13 to 25 cents per barrel, depends upon the payment method.