Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX) is a project of the three governments of UK, France and Germany to bypass US sanctions on Iran.
INSTEX is a special payment system which will help to save the Iran nuclear deal by allowing Tehran to keep trading with EU companies despite Washington re-imposing sanctions.
INSTEX would receive payments from companies that want to trade with Iran, either by receiving waivers for oil imports or permissible trade in goods like food and medicine.
As a result, there would be no direct transfer of funds between Iran and European companies.
This would theoretically insulate firms from U.S. penalties.