&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "'We will continue to aggressively follow the money': US freezes over $130mn in Iran-linked crypto wallets")
The United States has frozen more than $130 million worth of cryptocurrency held in wallets linked to Iran's central bank, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced on Tuesday, as Washington stepped up efforts to curb Tehran's access to funds allegedly generated through illicit financial networks.
In a post on X, Bessent said the action was part of the US Treasury's broader campaign to disrupt Iran's use of digital assets to finance its activities. "US Treasury is committed to disrupting and degrading Iran's illicit financial activities, including its abuse of digital assets. Today, Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned multiple wallets tied to the Central Bank of Iran, resulting in the freeze of over $130 million," Bessent said.
He added that the Treasury would continue targeting Iran's financial channels to restrict the government's access to illicit revenue. "We will continue to aggressively follow the money and deny the Iranian regime access to the proceeds of its illicit revenue schemes," he said.
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The sanctions were imposed by the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), which oversees US economic and trade sanctions. The latest move comes as the Trump administration intensifies financial pressure on Tehran alongside broader military and diplomatic measures, with digital assets emerging as an increasingly important focus of US sanctions enforcement.
The announcement follows a series of recent US actions against Iran, including fresh sanctions on individuals, entities and vessels, as Washington seeks to tighten economic restrictions on the Islamic Republic amid heightened regional tensions.
