Baeidi-Nejad: Officials Have Accurate Information on the Extent of Money Laundering in the Country
Hours after the Deputy Foreign Minister defended Mohammad Javad Zarif regarding money laundering in Iran, Hamid Baeidi-Nejad, Iran's ambassador to London, stated that officials have had accurate information about the extent of money laundering in the country for years. Baeidi-Nejad tweeted: "Relevant officials have had accurate information for years regarding the extent of money laundering of illegal profits entering the economic cycle by monitoring smuggling routes. In Iran, drug smuggling is reported to be three billion dollars annually, smuggling of goods and currency is 12.6 billion dollars annually, and fuel smuggling is forty million liters per day." In recent days, hardline conservatives opposed to anti-money laundering bills and the judiciary have launched fierce attacks against Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. Judiciary officials have asked Zarif to provide his evidence on this matter, and several members of the Stability Front are seeking signatures for a motion to impeach the Foreign Minister. On Tuesday morning, Morteza Sarmadi, the Deputy Foreign Minister, defended Zarif by stating that according to available statistics, at least about 10 to 15 billion dollars are laundered in Iran annually.