Sanctions, Surveillance, and Suppression:
Inside Nima Eskandari’s Network
Who is Nima Eskandari?
As dissidents in Iran wrestle with the suffocating grip of internet censorship, navigating a maze of government surveillance and deploying evasive tactics to preserve their freedoms, a darker force works in the shadows. Nima Eskandari is one such figure, aiding the regime in tracking dissent and consolidating its control.
Nima Eskandari, the founder of the UK-based company Tenisol, supplied surveillance software and technology to the Islamic Republic to help track Iranian dissidents domestically. According to the British Government’s Companies House website, Eskandari holds Iranian-British nationality and has three registered companies in England.
These companies include Tenisol Ltd, specializing in satellite telecommunications and technology consulting; Emeatra Ltd, which deals in telecommunications, audio, and video equipment; and Agtelligence Ltd, focusing on data processing and natural sciences and engineering.
Technology to Suppress Opposition
Through his company Tenisol, Eskandari assisted ArianTel in obtaining the software and hardware necessary to develop Service Integration and Management (SIAM) for the Islamic Republic. Ariantel is an Iranian mobile service provider which has actively sought, and makes use of, cyberware products used to monitor, geolocate and intercept calls and other mobile communications activities of its users at the request of the Iranian Government. ArianTel was sanctioned by the EU on April 24, 2023, but it has not yet faced sanctions from the US or UK governments. Various reports highlighted email exchanges between Eskandari/Tenisol and PROTEI Ltd. SIAM, developed with the support of PROTEI Ltd., has allowed the Islamic Republic to track protesters and dissidents within the country.
The SIAM documentation reveals that Iran’s Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA), which is subject to US and EU sanctions, can obtain real-time information on any SIM card holder in Iran. This system enables the CRA to impose various restrictions on the communication of specific SIM cards and track the location of any active SIM card. It also allows the regime to identify individuals with active SIM cards in areas where anti-regime protests are taking place.
Reports suggest that Iranian security agencies have identified and detained many protesters by tracking their SIM cards. In a recent crackdown marking the second anniversary of the Mahsa movement protests, security forces cut off the SIM cards of dozens of civil and political activists to preempt potential demonstrations.The Iranian government’s satisfaction with the services it receives from Eskandari can lead to the development of cooperation between Eskandari and the Islamic Republic, and it will earn more income in this way.
Eskandari’s Method for Bypassing Sanctions
To circumvent sanctions, the Iranian regime largely relies on individuals who can carry out missions with minimal risk of exposure. One of the biggest challenges remains financial transactions, though some methods still exist to navigate this obstacle. Nima Eskandari is among those who have tested these tactics to evade sanctions.
Emeatra’s financial records show a significant increase in assets by April 30, 2022, following its operations from October 2019 to April 2023. This increase aligns with Eskandari’s services to ArianTel and the Islamic Republic. It is believed that Emeatra played a key role in supplying technology and assisting ArianTel and the regime in bypassing US sanctions.
Eskandari and his company Tenisol have operated as a front for Iran’s regime, facilitating payments for ArianTel and helping to negotiate contracts and services. In October 2022, anonymous actors leaked over 320,000 emails from ArianTel online. ArianTel was Tenisol’s primary client, and Eskandari earned tens of thousands of euros in commissions by handling financial transactions and negotiating on ArianTel’s behalf.
According to email exchanges, the first communication between Tenisol and ArianTel occurred on March 4, 2018, when Eskandari requested $1.2 million for various software licenses. Tenisol effectively operated as a front company, managing all financial transactions between ArianTel and its global service providers.
According to an email dated March 17, 2021, Eskandari personally facilitated ArianTel’s evasion of US sanctions by providing a UK mobile number, enabling ArianTel to join the Apple Developer Program despite the restrictions. In another case, due to US sanctions, Apple does not permit businesses in Iran to create developer accounts for uploading iOS apps to the App Store. As a result, ArianTel could not join the Apple Developer Program without a foreign mobile number and a valid payment card, such as MasterCard or Visa.
Eskandari in the Service of Iran’s Government
The actions of Nima Eskandari and the companies he manages indicate that he has been actively serving Iran’s government. His efforts have primarily focused on developing advanced technologies aimed at suppressing protesters and circumventing international sanctions.
As a result, Eskandari can be considered one of the most significant covert operatives of the Iranian government outside the country, having remained unnoticed by both the public and the media for years. It is likely that his involvement in supporting the Iranian regime goes far beyond the information currently available.
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