The US Treasury Department has taken an important step in the field of cryptocurrency in order to disrupt financial networks linked to Iran. In the official statement made on Friday, it was stated that crypto assets with a total value of $ 344 million were frozen. It was noted that the operation was part of efforts to prevent Iran’s financial circulation.
Sanctions on Crypto Wallets Linked to Iran
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced in his post on the social media platform In this context, it was stated that access to various digital wallets was blocked and digital assets worth 344 million dollars were frozen.
“We will continue to track the money that the Tehran administration is trying to transfer out of the country and target all financial vessels connected to the regime,” he said.
Bessent also stated that this operation was part of a broader strategy called ‘Economic Rage’.
$344 Million Blacklist Move from Tether
A day before the Treasury Department’s announcement, stablecoin issuer Tether blacklisted two blockchain addresses on the Tron blockchain, holding a total of 344 million USDT. Following this development, it was announced that the USA also froze the same amount of crypto assets.
An official source in the US said that these crypto wallets are directly linked to the Iranian regime and the transactions take place through exchanges in Iran. He also shared that intermediary addresses linked to wallets belonging to the Central Bank were traced. The US Treasury Department stated that the Central Bank of Iran has begun to make more use of digital assets to hide its cross-border transfers.
Concern about Overcoming Sanctions with Cryptocurrencies
According to information provided by officials, Iran has recently been implementing complex cryptocurrency transfer models in order to hide its cross-border transactions and evade sanctions. US officials, on the other hand, said that more aggressive steps were being taken against both traditional shell companies and the use of digital assets.
In addition, the Ministry of Treasury also included the China-based independent refinery company Hengli Petrochemical (Dalian) Refinery on the sanctions list. The institution stated that the company in question plays an important role in Iran’s oil economy. Hengli Petrochemical is known as a petrochemical company operating in China and standing out in its sector.
Institutions affiliated with the Treasury continue to work closely with blockchain analysis companies and financial institutions, especially cryptocurrency exchanges, to detect illegal financial flows.
