The U.S. government has accused Salem Ahmed Said, an Iraqi-British trader, of helping the Islamic Republic of Iran bypass Western sanctions and secretly sell its oil. According to American officials, Said used a complex network of companies to disguise Iranian oil as Iraqi and sold it to Western buyers.

The scheme allowed Tehran to covertly export sanctioned oil and receive payments through unconventional means. Profits from these oil sales were reportedly delivered to Iran in cash, transported via trucks—earning them the nickname “dollar trucks.”

Washington alleges that some of this money made its way into the hands of Malaysian operatives working with the Islamic Republic’s regime, known for their role in facilitating Iran’s illicit financial channels. The arrangement not only circumvented sanctions but also strengthened Iran’s ties with international actors willing to defy Western enforcement.