US Treasury sanctions Shelbit and Aban Tether for Iran crypto links
The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions on Aug. 7, 2026 against two digital‑asset exchanges, Shelbit and Aban Tether. The agencies said the platforms helped Iran evade sanctions and moved funds that support the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). OFAC reported that IRGC‑linked wallets sent more than $1 million in cryptocurrency to Shelbit addresses and that Shelbit‑linked wallets transferred over $2 million to IRGC‑controlled wallets.
The sanctions also targeted Iranian national Siavash Kayvanpour and companies tied to him in Georgia, Poland and the United Arab Emirates. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the United States will “hunt down and dismantle the illicit financial networks that keep the regime afloat.” The action follows a June 2 sanction of Iran’s largest crypto exchange, Nobitex, for similar violations.
Shelbit, a Dubai‑based unlicensed exchange, was identified in a Reuters investigation as a hub for a multi‑billion‑dollar scheme that moved crypto for Iran’s central bank, an illegal online gambling network, and addresses linked to the IRGC. The exchange’s website had been offline for months but reportedly re‑activated after the investigation was published.
Entities: Aban Tether · Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps · Nobitex · Shelbit · Siavash Kayvanpour · U.S. Treasury · United States Department of the Treasury
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 6 SOURCES] Iranian national Siavash Kayvanpour and companies tied to him in Georgia, Poland and the UAE were sanctioned. (US Treasury OFAC)
- [● 4 SOURCES] The United States previously sanctioned Iranian exchange Nobitex on June 2, 2026 for facilitating sanctions evasion. (US Treasury OFAC)
- [● 6 SOURCES] Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the Treasury will hunt down and dismantle the illicit financial networks that keep the regime afloat. (Scott Bessent, Treasury Secretary)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Shelbit‑linked wallets transferred over $2 million to IRGC‑controlled wallets. (US Treasury OFAC)
- [● 7 SOURCES] The sanctions allege Shelbit and Aban Tether helped Iran evade restrictions and move funds linked to the IRGC. (US Treasury OFAC)
- [● 2 SOURCES] IRGC‑linked wallets sent more than $1 million in cryptocurrency to Shelbit addresses. (US Treasury OFAC)
- [● 7 SOURCES] OFAC sanctioned crypto exchanges Shelbit and Aban Tether on Aug 7, 2026. (US Treasury OFAC)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Shelbit is a Dubai‑based unlicensed exchange that processed millions of dollars for the IRGC and an illegal online gambling network. (Reuters investigation)