US Treasury freezes $130 million in Iran‑linked crypto wallets amid expanded sanctions

The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) added four Tron blockchain wallets tied to the Central Bank of Iran to its sanctions list, freezing more than $130 million in USDT stablecoins. Tether complied by blocking the $131 million held in those wallets.

The action is part of a broader U.S. crackdown on Iran’s illicit finance. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced expanded sanctions on the oil‑shipping network of Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, targeting over 50 individuals, entities and vessels that facilitate Iranian oil exports and support the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The measures follow a series of strikes by U.S. forces and the re‑imposition of a naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.

Together, the sanctions aim to cut off revenue streams that fund Iran’s weapons programs and destabilising activities in the region.