Iran rejects US claims of IRGC cash shortage — Al Jazeera
Iranian authorities have rejected US claims that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) cannot pay its military personnel and that regional groups linked to Tehran are facing financial difficulties. The Iranian side also denied that the country is unable to support its allies in the region, Al Jazeera reports.
Statements by US command
US Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper said last week that military strikes and a naval blockade of Iran’s southern ports had inflicted significant losses on the country. According to him, the United States prevented Iranian oil exports worth at least $25 billion and helped freeze about $350 million in crypto assets.
Cooper also claimed that certain Iran-linked armed groups were allegedly delaying payments to fighters in order to direct funds to the IRGC, which, he asserted, is also not paying its own military personnel. The US side presents these claims as the result of its campaign against Iran.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
State of the economy and support for allies
Governor of the Central Bank of Iran Abdolnaser Hemmati said that, despite pressure, the country’s economy is demonstrating resilience and that claims of its collapse are an illusion. At the same time, the World Bank forecasts a 7.7% contraction in Iran’s economy in the 2026–2027 fiscal year.
President Masoud Pezeshkian acknowledged on Sunday that military attacks and the naval blockade had created significant problems for the country. He said the government relies on domestic capabilities, while consumption management has made it possible to abandon gasoline imports, which otherwise could have cost $12 billion.
Michael Knights, head of Middle East and North Africa research at Horizon Engage, noted that Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthis have financial problems but continue to receive payments and fuel support from Iran. Negar Mortazavi, a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy, believes that economic pressure limits Iran’s military resources, but does not in itself mean a change in the IRGC’s strategic calculations or Tehran’s capitulation.
