Nearly 13,000 Iranian companies are registered in Georgia -- to only a handful of addresses -- raising concerns that Tehran could be using the South Caucasus country to skirt international sanctions. The Iranian businesses listed in Georgia are involved in everything from construction and logistics to hospitality and even night clubs, according to public records seen by RFE/RL's Georgian Service. The number of Iranian companies registered in Georgia has surged over the past decade, coinciding with the imposition of international sanctions on the Islamic republic over its disputed nuclear program. The measures restrict foreign individuals, companies and governments from sending or receiving funds from Iran. Violators can be subject to stiff penalties and even criminal prosecution. In July, a Georgian NGO, Civic IDEA, released an investigation in which it accused the ruling Georgian Dream party of allowing Iranian businesses -- some linked with Iran's armed forces -- to use Georgia as a "strategic transit point" to bypass international sanctions and funnel money back to Tehran. The Georgian authorities did not respond to RFE/RL's request for comment. As of June 2025, more than 12,800 Iranian businesses were registered in Georgia, according to public records. Nearly all of them are fully Iranian owned. The exact number of Iranian companies still operating in Georgia is unclear. Iranian companies became active in Georgia starting around 2009. There was a surge in the number of registrations of Iranian companies in Georgia from 2012 and 2019, overlapping with the implementation of tough international sanctions on Tehran. At the time, media reports linked some of the Iranian companies to the US-designated Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) -- a powerful branch of the Iranian armed forces that plays a significant role in the economy -- suggesting these businesses offered Tehran indirect access to Western markets. Georgia tightened banking rules for Iranians and temporarily suspended visa-free travel. But Iranian investment in Georgia picked up again after the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers, particularly in real estate, transport, and construction.