Who was the reason for the closure of the Iranian Exchange Association?
Who was the reason for the closure of the Iranian Exchange Association? According to Iran Gate, Vahid Vatani, the owner of Samin Exchange and the son of a high-ranking official in the country who holds a monopoly on the sale of bitumen, directs money laundering and fuel and currency smuggling routes. Vahid Vatani is one of the shareholders of a private refinery producing bitumen and petrochemical materials known as Jam, one of whose partners was an individual from religious minorities. The Islamic Republic often uses individuals from religious and national minorities to bypass sanctions and transfer money, which led to disputes and conflicts with this individual.
Vahid Vatani, using security and financial privileges, caused this individual to be imprisoned and face problems. Vatani, with extensive connections and security and judicial support, created issues and fabricated cases for exchanges, leading to the seizure and closure of many of them. According to information obtained from several exchangers, the main reason for the dissolution of the Exchange Association in recent months is this privileged and special-benefit-seeker, Vahid Vatani.
In this process, we reached the case of Vahid Vatani, who is close to the government and holds one of the largest privileges, namely the sale of bitumen, and through exchanges working with him, launders money for the Islamic Republic both inside and outside the country. The company AYE TRADING FZE is responsible for selling Iranian petrochemical and oil products to India and other countries. Vahid Vatani, through Samin Exchange and several exchanges associated with AYE, conducts money laundering and transfers the money from the sale of oil and petrochemical products for the Islamic Republic. The company Aye Trading Fze is responsible for exporting bitumen and petrochemical products to India by bypassing sanctions.
Vahid Vatani is a friend and partner of Amir Hossein Shariatmadari, also known as Amir Shariat, the son of Mohammad Shariatmadari, the former Minister of Industry, Mines, and Trade. These two, through behind-the-scenes connections, hold the monopoly on the sale of bitumen and petrochemical products. Amir Hossein Shariatmadari, the son of Mohammad Shariatmadari, a minister in various governments of the Islamic Republic and a close friend of Vahid Vatani, is a partner in one of the paper companies registered in the UAE, TIME MACHINE PETROLEUM, without leaving any trace.
Among the main but missing links in this network are Hadi Razavi, the son-in-law, and Ammar Salehi, the nephew of Shariatmadari. They are special-benefit seekers and rent-seekers who, like godfathers, control a large currency and trade cartel behind the scenes. They oversee many of the currency transfers related to oil and petrochemicals and, through various companies and exchanges inside and outside the country, without any mention of their names, pocket substantial profits for themselves and their partners.
