Iran-backed militias sending money back to cash-starved IRGC, U.S. says

Iran-backed groups that once received funding from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps are reportedly sending money back to it. The article names Hezbollah, Hamas, and Shia militias in Iraq. This reversal shows how deeply the war’s economic pressure is affecting Iran’s wider security network.

The reported mechanism is straightforward. Militia groups are allegedly withholding payments from their own soldiers and funneling the money to the IRGC. Cooper also said Iran is withholding salaries, pensions, and benefits from public workers, internal security forces, and IRGC personnel.

The reports suggest Iran’s financial strain has spread beyond government institutions. Allied militias may have less money for their fighters, while the IRGC struggles to fund its forces. The pressure is part of a wider U.S. effort involving a naval blockade and severe sanctions. The White House hopes these measures will push Tehran toward a deal involving nuclear concessions, but Iran has not agreed.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is Iran’s military-security organization, separate from the country’s regular armed forces. It serves as a central instrument of the Iranian government’s internal security and regional strategy. The article identifies the IRGC as a force whose personnel include internal security members and whose finances are under heavy pressure.

Inside Iran, the IRGC helps enforce the government’s security. The article says Iran is withholding salaries, pensions, and benefits from IRGC personnel and other public-sector workers. Across the region, the IRGC has funded groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and Shia militias in Iraq for years.

That dual role makes the IRGC especially important in the current crisis. It must support Iran’s security forces while also sustaining allied militias abroad. The article reports that financial strain is now forcing those militias to send money back to the IRGC. This suggests the pressure is disrupting both Iran’s domestic security system and its regional network.

The article gives two major figures for the financial pressure on Iran. The naval blockade reportedly cost the country $25 billion in lost oil revenue. Separately, U.S. CENTCOM and the Treasury Department froze $350 million that Iran held in cryptocurrency.

These measures affect different parts of Iran’s finances. Lost oil revenue means less money enters the country from energy exports. Frozen cryptocurrency represents money that exists but cannot be accessed or used by Iran. Together, they reduce the funds available to the government and its security institutions.

The figures help explain why U.S. officials describe serious difficulties for Iran and its security forces. Cooper said the financial strain has contributed to withheld salaries, pensions, and benefits. The pressure is intended to push Iran toward a deal with nuclear concessions, but the article reports that Tehran has not yet accepted such an agreement.

Sanctions, frozen assets, and lost oil revenue restrict both Iran’s income and its access to money. The article says the naval blockade cost Iran $25 billion in oil revenue, while the United States froze $350 million in cryptocurrency. These losses create a smaller pool of usable funds for government operations.

The pressure can spread through the payment system. If Iran receives less money and cannot use frozen assets, it may prioritize essential spending or delay salaries and benefits. Cooper said Iran is withholding payments from public-sector workers, internal security forces, and IRGC personnel. Allied militias are also reportedly withholding payments from their soldiers and sending funds back to the IRGC.

The result is a financial squeeze across Iran’s security network. Unpaid personnel may weaken morale and operations, while militias have less money for their fighters. The article says the hardship is contributing to desperation inside the IRGC, including increased attacks on ships. U.S. officials hope the pressure will force nuclear concessions, but no deal has emerged.

The Strait of Hormuz is a vital sea passage through which ships move between the Gulf region and the wider ocean. The article does not provide a geographic definition, but it identifies the strait as a major route for commercial shipping and oil. Its continued operation directly affects energy movement and maritime trade.

Its importance comes from the volume of traffic using it. During the week described, 400 ships and 100 million barrels of oil moved through the strait. Iran has increased attacks against ships there, while U.S. officials say the passage remains open despite those attacks.

A threat to the strait can affect Iran, oil exporters, and shipping companies at the same time. Iran may use attacks to raise oil prices and pressure the U.S. administration. Exporters risk reduced access to markets, while shipping firms may reconsider the route. CENTCOM worries that fewer ships could mean less oil leaving the region and higher prices.

The article reports that 400 ships and 100 million barrels of oil passed through the Strait of Hormuz during the previous week. U.S. CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper said the strait was still open, despite increased Iranian attacks against ships in the area.

These figures show the route’s continuing importance. Ships were still moving through it in large numbers, and the oil volume was substantial. The article connects the traffic to global energy movement and warns that growing attacks could make shipping companies reconsider using the passage.

The immediate reality was continued transit, not a closure. However, U.S. officials were concerned that companies might think twice about crossing the strait. If fewer ships use the route, less oil could leave the region. That could cause oil prices to spike, while also increasing pressure on Iran and the United States during negotiations over ending the war.

Oil supplies can fall when attacks make a major shipping route feel unsafe. Shipping companies may delay voyages, choose alternatives, or avoid the route altogether. The article says CENTCOM worries that increased attacks could make companies think twice about transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

The key mechanism is reduced movement. If fewer ships cross the strait, less oil leaves the region. The article reports that 100 million barrels moved through during the week described, so even a decline in traffic could affect available supplies. Iran is also accused of attacking ships to raise oil prices and increase pressure on Trump.

Higher prices can follow when buyers compete for a smaller or less reliable supply. The article warns that reduced oil exports could produce a spike in prices. Although the strait remained open, the combination of attacks and a pause in some U.S. strikes increased concern about future shipping. The economic effect could extend far beyond the immediate conflict.