The Foundation for the Defense of Democracies has obtained documents that reveal information about the bank accounts of the office of Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and various Iranian institutions in Lebanon.

 

The Foundation for the Defense of Democracies has obtained documents that reveal information about the bank accounts of the office of Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and various Iranian institutions in Lebanon.

The information was revealed after a group of hackers called "Spider-Z" hacked the Lebanese Hezbollah-affiliated Qarzat al-Hassan Institute and obtained information from more than 400,000 of its customers.

Among the clients of this institution, there is also the office of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic under the title of "Vali-e-Faqih" account and an account belonging to the embassy, ​​which is likely to be the Iranian embassy in Beirut.

According to the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, there is another account belonging to Houthi militias in the accounts, entitled "Helping Yemeni Children." He sent dollars to the "Yemeni brothers".

The Lebanese branch of the Martyr Foundation of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which has been on the US sanctions list since 2007, also has accounts at the institution.

The institute was established in the early 1960s, and with the lifting of sanctions, its trading volume increased from $ 76.5 million in 2007 to $ 476 million in 2018 and $ 480 million in 2019. The institution has had a combined $ 3.5 billion in financial transactions since its inception.

Imam Khomeini Relief Committee, Mahan Airlines, Iran Air, Islamic Republic Broadcasting, Al-Alam and Jamjam networks also have accounts in this institution.

Qarz al-Hassan Institute also cooperates with the branch of Bank Saderat Iran in Lebanon and provides exchange channels with Lebanese Lira and US Dollars. Between 2001 and 2006, the bank transferred more than $ 50 million in money from the Central Bank of Iran, and according to the Lebanese Hezbollah Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, used the bank's facilities to send money to "terrorists" during this period.