Research Briefing

In an era of accelerating hybrid threats and state-enabled subterfuge, the revelations contained in this report illuminate a critical front in the contest between rules-based international order and malign actors exploiting its blind spots. The data leaks attributed to the Prana hacktivist network provide the most comprehensive insider’s view to date of the apparatus sustaining the Islamic Republic of Iran’s sanctions evasion economy.

This dossier should serve as both a wake-up call and a tool for the United Kingdom and its allies. The findings present a detailed anatomy of how Iran’s military leadership—under the Armed Forces General Staff and the IRGC—has systematically exported sanctioned oil, laundered proceeds through intricate financial and shipping networks, and reinvested the gains into destabilising regional activities. The use of shell companies, spoofed shipping signals, falsified documentation, cryptocurrency, and even bullion to mask origin and ownership underscores the adaptive sophistication of Tehran’s illicit architecture.

For British policymakers, intelligence professionals, and financial regulators, the implications are clear. The United Kingdom—through the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI), the National Crime Agency (NCA), and its global diplomatic network—has both the mandate and the means to confront this challenge. The report’s UK-specific recommendations point to immediate and actionable paths: expanding designations under domestic sanctions law, reinforcing maritime domain awareness, tightening financial oversight through Companies House and FCA mechanisms, and applying sustained diplomatic pressure on jurisdictions and entities enabling Iran’s network.