Info:
OFAC is designating Bonyad Taavon Basij pursuant to E.O. 13224 for being owned or controlled by the Basij, and also for assisting, sponsoring, or providing financial, material, or technological support for, or financial or other services to or in support of, to the Basij Resistance Force (Basij), a paramilitary force subordinate to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Among other malign activities, the IRGC’s Basij militia recruits, trains, and deploys child soldiers to fight in IRGC-fueled conflicts across the region. This Iran-based network is known as Bonyad Taavon Basij, which is translated as Basij Cooperative Foundation, and is comprised of at least 20 corporations and financial institutions. The Bonyad Taavon Basij employs shell companies and other measures to mask Basij ownership and control over a variety of multibillion-dollar business interests in Iran’s automotive, mining, metals, and banking industries, many of which have significant international dealings across the Middle East and with Europe;
“The Bonyad Taavon Basij network is an example of how the IRGC and Iranian military forces have expanded their economic involvement in major industries, and infiltrated seemingly legitimate businesses to fund terrorism and other malign activities. This vast network provides financial infrastructure to the Basij’s efforts to recruit, train, and indoctrinate child soldiers who are coerced into combat under the IRGC’s direction,”;
Bonyad Taavon Basij manages Basij members’ economic activities by funding small companies. However, as its role in domestic oppression and support for the IRGC-QF’s external meddling has increased, Bonyad Taavon Basij has expanded its reach into Iran’s economy by establishing several investment firms through its financial and investment offshoot Mehr Eqtesad Bank;
Mehr Eqtesad Bank is designated pursuant to E.O. 13224 for being owned or controlled by Bonyad Taavon Basij, and also for assisting, sponsoring, or providing financial, material, or technological support for, or financial or other services to or in support of, the Basij and Bonyad Taavon Basij;
Mehr Eqtesad Iranian Investment Company, acts as an intermediary for the economic entrenchment of the Basij and Bonyad Taavon Basij;
The Middle East’s Largest Iran Tractor Manufacturer Company, is generating millions of dollars for the Basij;
Esfehan’s Mobarakeh Steel Company, the largest steel maker in the Middle East and North Africa region, is used as a revenue stream for Bonyad Taavon Basij’s economic conglomerate;
Also Known As:
Basij Cooperative Foundation
Country:
Iran
Address:
Tehran, Iran
Website:
www.bonyadtb.ir
E-mail:
info@bonyadtb.ir
Operational Scheme:
Bonyad support network IRGC’s financial lifeline
Articles/Reports:
Bonyad Taavon Sepah – Report