# Why do Iran’s oil “intermediaries” owe the government billions?

https://mins.news/en/item/97109

- Al Jazeera, 2026-10-12 21:16 UTC
- Economy
- Original: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/12/why-do-irans-oil-intermediaries-owe-the-government-billions?traffic_source=rss

> Iran says intermediaries responsible for selling its oil owe the government billions of dollars. As the United States maintains a naval blockade of Iranian ports and tightens sanctions on oil exports, Tehran is seeking revenue from earlier sales that it says has gone missing. The debts trace back to a network set up to sell oil outside official channels in response to sanctions; discrepancies between expected proceeds and payments to the treasury surfaced early on.