Mindex, the export arm of Iran’s Ministry of Defense, has begun accepting cryptocurrency as a payment option for advanced weapon systems, aiming to circumvent international sanctions the country faces.
Interested buyers can procure weapons such as missiles, tanks, and drones using cryptocurrency, along with other accepted payment methods like Iranian rials or bartering, as indicated on the center’s website.
Mindex facilitates Iran’s international defense sales and claims to serve clients in 35 different nations.
No pricing information is available for the items on offer.
This initiative marks one of the first known cases of a nation allowing cryptocurrency to be used for military equipment purchases, according to the Financial Times, which reported the news earlier.
The capability to use cryptocurrency for transactions with sanctioned countries is already well-established. In early 2025, blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis reported that nations under U.S. sanctions had received nearly $16 billion in digital assets the previous year.
United Nations (UN) sanctions on Iran saw a resurgence in 2025, with the reinstatement of sanctions that had been lifted in 2015 pertaining to the nation’s nuclear endeavors.
