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Israel Goes After the Man Behind Iran’s Crypto Empire

JL;DR SUMMARY Israeli journalist Amit Segal highlights the intriguing life of Babak Zanjani, a key figure in Iran's strategy for evading sanctions through a crypto-based system. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

Middle EastIranInternational RelationsSanctionsRevolutionary GuardsAmit SegalBabak ZanjaniCryptoEconomic Evasion

Places mentioned

Israel
"He writes a daily newsletter, Its Noon in Israel, which were pleased to publish in The Free Press."
Iran
"Zanjanis is a fascinating story: the son of a railway worker who became a businessman and built a global empire of dozens of companies across Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, and Tajikistandesigned specifically to bypass sanctions."
Turkey
"Zanjanis is a fascinating story: the son of a railway worker who became a businessman and built a global empire of dozens of companies across Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, and Tajikistandesigned specifically to bypass sanctions."
United Arab Emirates
"Zanjanis is a fascinating story: the son of a railway worker who became a businessman and built a global empire of dozens of companies across Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, and Tajikistandesigned specifically to bypass sanctions."
Malaysia
"Zanjanis is a fascinating story: the son of a railway worker who became a businessman and built a global empire of dozens of companies across Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, and Tajikistandesigned specifically to bypass sanctions."
Tajikistan
"Zanjanis is a fascinating story: the son of a railway worker who became a businessman and built a global empire of dozens of companies across Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, and Tajikistandesigned specifically to bypass sanctions."
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Cairo Item ID 79104
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Retrieved 2026-04-03 18:00:30 UTC
Curated 2026-04-03 19:00:51 UTC