Israeli-Connected Oligarch Ilan Shor Accused of Funding Hamas and Iran Through Sanctions Evasion Network

A company named A7, established by Moldovan oligarch Ilan Shor, who holds Israeli citizenship, has facilitated international transactions totaling the equivalent of $14 billion between November 2024 and July 2025. This information comes from an investigation by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), released on October 24th. U.S. authorities identify A7 as a network involved in sanctions evasion and money laundering, allegedly used by Iran's central bank, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Iran-backed groups like Hamas, and cybercriminals, according to the U.S. Treasury Department.

Founded by Shor in 2024, A7's stated purpose was to assist Russian businesses with cross-border payments amidst stringent international sanctions. Shor owns 51% of A7, with the remaining shares held by the sanctioned Russian bank PSB. The ICIJ investigation highlights the "Sadovod" market in Moscow as a key operational hub, where local traders facilitate payments for goods purchased abroad, often circumventing sanctions. Cash is collected in numbered bags and sent to A7's cash center for processing before being transferred to PSB and then to intermediary firms outside Russia, which make payments to foreign recipients, primarily Chinese suppliers, obscuring the original source of funds.

According to the U.S. Treasury, the network employs companies in various countries and utilizes forged trade documents to disguise payments as legitimate transactions not subject to sanctions. By the end of 2024, A7 reportedly received approximately 2,300 transfer requests from companies operating at "Sadovod," with most intended for Chinese and Hong Kong recipients via trading firms in Kyrgyzstan. A7 boasted in a press release that transfers to China took as little as 40 minutes to an hour.

Reports suggest Shor discussed the scale of his operations with Russian President Vladimir Putin in September 2025, claiming his platform processed over 7.5 trillion rubles and handled 1,500 to 2,000 transactions daily. Shor also projected significant tax payments and planned to establish a financial center in Asia, which accounted for over half of the network's payments. However, on October 1st, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned A7, labeling it a "significant transnational criminal organization" for its alleged money laundering methods, sanctions violations, and financial support for the IRGC and groups like Hamas. The Treasury also noted A7's connections to Nobitex, an Iranian digital asset trading platform sanctioned by OFAC on June 2, 2026, and its involvement in operations linked to North Korean hackers and other illicit activities.

The 39-year-old Shor, who is wanted in Moldova, was born in Israel. After returning to Chisinau in the early 1990s, he inherited and expanded his father's duty-free shop business. He later entered politics, founding a populist party that was subsequently banned in Moldova. In 2017, he was convicted in Moldova for money laundering and his role in a $1 billion bank fraud, dubbed the "theft of the century," and fled to Israel. An appeal in 2023 increased his sentence to 15 years. Shor relocated his operations to Russia in the mid-2010s, aligning himself with Putin's policies and frequently appearing on Russian state media while remaining a fugitive.

This investigation into Shor's financial network emerges amidst a call by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on October 23, 2026, for Israel to prepare for an "economy that bypasses sanctions," suggesting blockchain as a potential alternative. U.S. authorities and opposition-linked investigations identify Shor as a key figure in Russia's efforts to circumvent Western sanctions over the past four and a half years since the invasion of Ukraine.