Key facts
- The U.S. Treasury has frozen over $131 million in cryptocurrency linked to Iran.
- Stablecoin issuer Tether froze four Tron wallets holding the assets.
- The wallets were confirmed to be tied to Iran's Central Bank.
- The action occurs amid heightened Middle East tensions and renewed US-Iran hostilities.
- This is part of a broader US financial pressure campaign against Iran known as Operation Economic Fury.
The U.S. Treasury has ordered the freezing of over $131 million in cryptocurrency linked to Iran, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stating the move aims to disrupt Iran's illicit financial activities. The freeze was confirmed after blockchain investigator Specter identified Tether freezing four Tron wallets holding $131 million worth of USDT, which Bessent later confirmed were tied to Iran's Central Bank.
This action comes as Middle East tensions escalate, with the U.S. reporting renewed strikes on Iran and Iran claiming drone attacks on a U.S. military base in Jordan. The U.S. has also renewed its blockade of Iranian ports.
The freeze is part of a larger U.S. financial pressure campaign against Iran, dubbed Operation Economic Fury, which launched in March 2025. Since its inception, the U.S. Treasury has seized approximately $1 billion in Iranian crypto assets. This latest action follows a similar freeze in April, where Tether froze over $344 million in USDT at the request of U.S. authorities.