Russia’s second-largest bank VTB has opened a branch in Iran, the country’s Trade Promotion Organization (TPO) announced on Twitter on Tuesday.
VTB is the first ever Russian bank to offer services in the Islamic Republic, according to TPO head Alireza Peyman-Pak.
Last December, VTB launched a service allowing both individuals and businesses to transfer money to and from Iran. It was one of the first Russian banks to be excluded from the SWIFT global payments system over Moscow’s military operation in Ukraine.
Russia and Iran have recently started to deepen their economic and energy ties to counter Western sanctions faced by both countries.
