Reuters, in an investigative report, said the Islamic Republic has been importing billions of dollars’ worth of equipment needed for its missile and drone programs through a covert network consisting of more than five thousand entities linked to its military structure, while circumventing Western sanctions and the U.S. naval blockade.

According to the report, only one of these entities, from Dey 1403 to Tir 1405, imported military equipment worth $2.3 billion. The shipments included explosives, rocket fuel compounds, weapons components, and heavy-duty trucks.

Reuters reported that the network is linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and that a large portion of its equipment was imported into Iran with an origin recorded in China, Russia, and European countries.

Based on analyzed data, 97% of the shipments were settled without direct currency transfers, and foreign intermediaries used income from the sale of illegally obtained oil to purchase the equipment.

As Reuters wrote, the Islamic Republic’s import of military equipment continued even during the war and the U.S. naval blockade.