# US efforts to disrupt Iranian oil revenue > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/us-efforts-to-disrupt-iranian-oil-revenue > Updated: 2026-09-15T12:29:42.000Z. Sources: 44. Developments: 3. The United States is expanding legal and financial efforts to disrupt Iranian oil revenue. The Justice Department has proposed reviving maritime prize courts, an “ancient body of maritime law,” to facilitate the military capture and seizure of Iranian oil tankers and cargo. This initiative, coordinated with the Department of Defense, seeks to designate seized assets as US property to bolster blockades and shield the US from third-party claims. Parallel to these maritime efforts, US authorities are targeting the financial networks used to launder oil proceeds. As part of ‘Operation Economic Outcast,’ the Justice Department filed a civil forfeiture complaint to seize approximately $61 million in cryptocurrency. Prosecutors allege these funds, moved through China-based firms and the Binance exchange, represent proceeds from the black-market sale of sanctioned Iranian petroleum products intended to benefit the Iranian government and the IRGC. Specifically, the complaint identifies two companies, Blessed Trust Limited and Hexa Whale Trading Limited, as key facilitators. These entities allegedly used trading accounts on the Binance exchange to launder proceeds and direct them toward the Iranian government and its proxies. The targeted assets consist of roughly 61.2 million USDT (Tether) held across 10 addresses on the Tron blockchain. Investigators used blockchain analysis to link these wallets to a larger network, referred to as ‘Entity A,’ which reportedly moved more than $1.5 billion in total oil proceeds. While the companies allegedly used the U.S. financial system to move tens of millions of dollars, prosecutors noted that Binance itself is not accused of wrongdoing. ## Claims - The funds were allegedly moved through trading accounts on Binance controlled by two China-based firms, Blessed Trust and Hexa Whale. (disputed by 11 sources) - Two Hong Kong-incorporated companies, Blessed Trust Limited and Hexa Whale Trading Limited, allegedly used Binance accounts to facilitate the transactions. (disputed by 5 sources) - The DOJ filed a civil forfeiture complaint against approximately $61 million in cryptocurrency. (corroborated by 19 sources) - The broader network allegedly laundered more than $1.5 billion in illicit Iranian oil proceeds. (corroborated by 11 sources) - The proceeds were intended to benefit the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). (corroborated by 10 sources) - Binance is not named as a defendant in the civil forfeiture complaint. (corroborated by 9 sources) - The forfeiture action is part of the Treasury Department’s ‘Operation Economic Outcast’. (corroborated by 6 sources) ## Timeline ### 2026-09-15: U.S. prosecutors seek $61 million in crypto linked to Iranian oil laundering U.S. prosecutors are seeking to forfeit $61 million in cryptocurrency allegedly used by a network of Chinese firms to launder over $1.5 billion from illegal Iranian oil sales to fund the IRGC. 10 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/united-states-seeks-seizure-of-61-million-in-crypto-linked-to-iranian-oil ### 2026-09-13: US DOJ seeks $61M crypto forfeiture tied to Iranian oil sales The US DOJ is seeking to forfeit $61 million in cryptocurrency allegedly used by Chinese firms to launder sanctioned Iranian oil proceeds for the Iranian government and the IRGC via Binance accounts. 22 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/hossein-aghayari-owes-billions-in-unpaid-oil-sales-debts ### 2026-08-27: US Justice Department plans to revive maritime prize courts to seize Iranian oil The US Justice Department plans to revive dormant maritime prize courts to facilitate the seizure and sale of Iranian oil tankers and cargo, with proceeds directed to the US Treasury. 15 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/us-justice-department-seeks-to-revive-prize-courts-to-seize-iranian-tankers --- Cite as: US efforts to disrupt Iranian oil revenue. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/us-efforts-to-disrupt-iranian-oil-revenue