Russia paid Iran with 1.8 tons of gold — valued at around $104 million — for Shahed-136 drones, according to U.S. analysts at C4ADS, as reported by The Washington Post.

The payment was outlined in a March 2023 contract, with gold priced at $58.32 per gram. A second deal for over 2 tons of gold was signed weeks later, though its delivery remains unconfirmed. Analysts say using gold allowed Russia to sidestep U.S. sanctions that target dollar-based transactions.

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Source: Forex Live