The British newspaper The Telegraph has claimed in its report that Russia secretly transferred about $2.5 billion in cash to Iran in 2018 to avoid US sanctions.

The funds were delivered to Tehran’s central bank in 34 large transfers through Russian state-owned Promsoyuz Bank, weighing a total of about five tons.

According to the documents, the money was sent at a time when Donald Trump imposed tough sanctions on Iran. Each shipment was worth between $57 million and $115 million, and most of the notes were in large denominations of European currency.

Experts say the payments reflect a closer relationship between Russia and Iran and were likely made in exchange for weapons or military equipment. Former US officials have expressed concern that such transfers could continue today, especially as Iran is supplying drones and missiles to Russia in the Ukraine war.

According to the report, the Russian bank was taken into state custody in 2017 for financing the defense sector and evading sanctions, while its former head was later sanctioned by the US and the UK.

Analysts have warned that cash transactions are difficult to trace, so Russia is likely to continue to rely on this strategy in the future.