Banque Worms
Banque Worms was a bank in Geneva, Switzerland, that played a role in the financial transactions related to Israel arms sales to Iran and the release of USA hostages.[^1]
Banque Worms was a bank in Geneva, Switzerland, that played a role in the financial transactions related to Israeli arms sales to Iran and the release of American hostages.1
In April 1980, Sayeed Mehdi Kashani opened a numbered account at Banque Worms and deposited $270,000 for the purchase of tires from Israel. This marked the beginning of the extra-budgetary Likud Party/intelligence community slush fund.1
In December 1980, $40 million in bank checks, part of a $56 million payment for the release of American hostages, were drawn on Banque Worms. Ari Ben-Menashe deposited $52 million of this money into Kashani's safe deposit box at Banque Worms. The remaining $4 million was deposited into Earl Brian's account at Valley National Bank of Arizona.1
Profits from the sales of tires and wheelbases to Iran ($956,000) were also deposited into Banque Worms to initiate the slush fund. Ari Ben-Menashe later opened a special account at Banque Worms for these profits.1
Sources
- Ben-Menashe, Ari. Profits of War: Inside the Secret U.S.-Israeli Arms Network. TrineDay, 1992. ↩
Local network
Banque Worms's direct connections. Click any node to navigate, drag to pan, scroll (or pinch) to zoom. + 2‑hop expands the neighborhood one level further.