The Obama administration has sought to play down benefits potentially accruing to the Guards from the deal, which eases sanctions in return for curbs on Iran's nuclear program.

James Clapper, the U.S. director of national intelligence, said Iran would likely spend most of its sanctions relief on domestic priorities and that groups like the Guards never lost funding even during the worst of the country’s economic crisis.

"They’ve been funded anyway even with the sanctions regime," Clapper said at an Aspen Institute security forum in July. "So I’m sure they’ll get some money but I don’t think it’ll be a huge windfall for them."