Subtitle: ZDF investigation uncovers alleged network funnelling profits from sanctioned Iranian oil sales through shell companies in Germany
A shocking investigation by German broadcaster ZDF has revealed that a Berlin-based businesswoman is allegedly involved in facilitating the international trade of Iranian oil—transactions that could be channeling millions in profits to Iran’s Defense Ministry, in violation of international sanctions.
According to ZDF reporter Arndt Ginzel, the woman allegedly manages large-scale oil deals directly from her apartment in central Berlin. The report suggests she is connected to a shadowy network that moves tens of millions of liters of oil from Iran to China using “ghost tankers” to evade detection.
A global shadow trade from Berlin
The investigation traces how Iranian crude—subject to extensive U.S. sanctions—is still finding its way to global markets. The United States maintains that any company, bank, or shipping line involved in Iranian oil trade risks secondary sanctions and potential blacklisting.
Economic analyst Muyu Xu, an expert on illicit oil trading based in Singapore, told ZDF that Tehran is dependent on oil revenues to avoid financial collapse. “The Iranian regime does everything possible to conceal its oil trade,” Xu said, adding that intermediaries “change company names and falsify documents to hide their involvement.”
Leak exposes secret connections
The breakthrough came after the exiled platform Wiki-Iran, known for publishing leaked documents about the Iranian regime, released confidential data from an Iranian oil trading company. Among the materials were emails and documents pointing to a Berlin-based firm allegedly tied to that Iranian company, which itself maintains links to the Iranian Defense Ministry.
ZDF’s review of the data uncovered emails sent from the German company’s address, as well as a copy of the Berlin businesswoman’s identification card among the leaked documents. These materials suggest a complex web of shell companies, dissolved entities, and contradictory records, possibly forming part of a global network securing billions in illicit revenue for Tehran.
When confronted with the allegations, the businesswoman admitted knowing Iranian oil traders but denied any involvement in their operations.
Legal and political implications
While Germany does not have a general ban on trading with Iran, Christian von Soest, head of the “Peace and Security” research program at the German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA), clarified that the law draws a clear line: “If the Iranian Defense Ministry is involved in such trade, then it becomes a criminal act.”
The documents reviewed by ZDF indicate precisely that — the involvement of subsidiary companies tied to Iran’s Defense Ministry in oil deals conducted from Germany.
No official investigation yet
Despite the serious allegations, German authorities have not launched an official investigation. The Berlin public prosecutor’s office confirmed to ZDF that “no proceedings are currently recorded” concerning the company in question. The German Customs Office declined to comment on any specific firms or ongoing cases.
The revelations raise urgent questions about Germany’s role in a global shadow economy that sustains the Iranian regime’s sanctioned revenue streams — and whether the country may have inadvertently become a key node in Tehran’s covert oil trade.
