How YouTube May Be Profiting From Sanctioned Iranian Government Accounts
A new investigation reveals YouTube has been running paid ads on channels operated by Iranian entities officially sanctioned by the US Treasury Department.
YouTube Under Fire for Monetizing Sanctioned Iranian Channels
A damning new investigation has revealed that YouTube may be generating advertising revenue from channels operated by individuals and organizations that the United States government has officially blacklisted. The findings, published by the nonprofit Tech Transparency Project (TTP), raise serious questions about whether Google's video platform is inadvertently — or knowingly — violating federal sanctions law.
What the Research Found
TTP researchers identified more than 75 YouTube channels apparently operated by parties sanctioned under the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the agency responsible for enforcing decades of economic restrictions against Iran. In total, 84 channels were flagged, and every single one was found to be monetized — meaning YouTube was actively placing advertisements on their videos.
The ads running on these channels came from well-known American brands, including Subaru, Verizon, TurboTax, KFC, and the weight-loss medication Ozempic. Perhaps most strikingly, researchers documented an ad paid for by US Customs and Border Protection appearing on a video produced by Iran's Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts.
"That means YouTube placed an ad paid for with US tax dollars on a channel for an Iranian government ministry," the TTP researchers noted in their report.
In response, a US Customs and Border Protection spokesperson told WIRED that the ads are placed through a third-party contractor working with Google, and that the agency maintains brand safety controls designed to prevent this type of placement. The spokesperson confirmed that the issue has since been raised directly with YouTube.
Who Is Behind the Channels?
The sanctioned parties identified in the report are not minor figures. They include:
- Babak Zanjani, a businessman alleged to have helped Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps circumvent international sanctions
- Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior adviser to Iran's supreme leader who has publicly threatened US military forces in the region
- Naji Sharifi Zindashti, accused of orchestrating assassination plots targeting Iranian dissidents living in the United States, including two Maryland residents
Additionally, Al-Mustafa International University — an Iranian Islamic seminary sanctioned in 2020 for allegedly recruiting and indoctrinating foreign intelligence sources — was found to operate at least four YouTube channels. These channels, which host lectures and video courses in English and French, were monetized with ads from BJ's Wholesale Club and a Warner Bros. horror film.
Iran's Counterterrorism Special Forces unit, accused of using deadly force against unarmed protesters, also appeared in the research, as did the Fars News Agency, Iran's state broadcaster widely regarded as a vehicle for government propaganda and disinformation.
A Potential Sanctions Violation
Sanctions law expert Kian Meshkat, an attorney specializing in US economic sanctions who reviewed TTP's findings, explained the gravity of the situation.
"The numerous holders of all these YouTube channels include Iranian individuals and entities that aren't just subject to the comprehensive US embargo on Iran, but sanctioned by OFAC under a variety of its sanctions programs, including counterterrorism, nonproliferation, and human rights abuses," Meshkat told WIRED.
While researchers could not definitively confirm that YouTube is sharing ad revenue with sanctioned parties — YouTube stopped publicly disclosing which channels receive revenue cuts in 2023 — the legal risk may extend beyond financial transactions. OFAC regulations explicitly prohibit US nationals and companies from providing services that benefit any blocked person or entity, regardless of whether money changes hands directly.
Meshkat further noted that even if YouTube qualifies for existing exemptions, those exemptions generally do not cover the provision of marketing or promotional services to sanctioned individuals.
Google's Response
Google spokesperson Nate Funkhouser issued a brief statement, saying the company is "committed to compliance with applicable sanctions and trade compliance laws" and that enforcement action was taken against channels found to be in violation of its policies. However, Google declined to clarify what actions were taken or how many channels were affected.
It is worth noting that YouTube officially banned Iran from accessing its platform in 2012, yet Iranian government entities have continued using it to distribute state-sponsored content. Google's own publisher policies clearly state that its advertising tools "may not be used for or on behalf" of Iranian parties. In 2024, YouTube removed an account linked to Iran's foreign ministry, stating that "Iran's state-owned channels are not permitted on YouTube" due to US sanctions.
Advertisers Have Little Control
One of the more troubling aspects of the investigation is that advertisers have virtually no way to avoid having their ads appear on these channels. Unlike sensitive content categories such as terrorist material or animal abuse — for which Google offers opt-out tools — no such mechanism exists to exclude sanctioned foreign government content. TTP director Katie Paul described this gap as especially alarming when the advertisers in question are US government agencies spending taxpayer money.
A Broader Pattern Among US Tech Platforms
YouTube is not alone in facing scrutiny over potential sanctions violations. Earlier in 2025, WIRED reported that X (formerly Twitter) may also be breaching sanctions by reportedly accepting subscription payments from Iranian government officials for premium accounts.
US tech companies do benefit from a 2022 exemption that permits them to provide platform access to ordinary Iranian citizens, supporting the free flow of information. However, that exemption does not authorize financial transactions with the Iranian government, nor does it extend to providing promotional or marketing services to sanctioned entities.
A Treasury Department spokesperson offered a pointed reminder: "Technology companies should be aware of US sanctions and understand their compliance risks and conduct due diligence to prevent violations."
The White House did not respond to requests for comment.
