This environment has created a sophisticated, institutionalized system of corruption, or what is often termed kleptocracy, where powerful political and clerical elites utilize their positions to systematically loot national assets. The lack of financial transparency within the Bonyads and IRGC networks makes it virtually impossible for the public or even government auditors to track the flow of billions in oil and gas revenue, enabling misappropriation, embezzlement, and nepotism. The resulting loss of public capital, which should have been directed toward schools, hospitals, and job creation, is instead funneled into the hands of a small, well-connected aristocracy, radically widening the already considerable gap between the rich and the suffering majority.
