The U.S. government says it has seized approximately $1 billion in crypto assets linked to Iran. This action is part of a broader effort to pressure Iran, known as "Operation Economic Fury," which aims to cripple Tehran's access to overseas revenue, banking networks, and digital asset infrastructure.
The operation targets overseas funding channels.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant, in an interview with Fox Business, said the U.S. had "taken down these wallets" and seized cryptocurrency assets linked to Iran. According to him, this operation was part of a broader financial crackdown.
Bessant stated that this round of operations not only targets crypto assets but also covers Iran's overseas revenue sources and shadow banking networks. The U.S. Treasury Department also mentioned in a press release that it has taken designated measures against networks supplying weapons and military components to Iran and sanctioned an Iraqi official who assisted in oil sales.
The Ministry of Finance says the Iranian economy is under pressure.
According to the US, the US and its partners are also investigating overseas real estate and other assets, viewing them as proceeds transferred from Iranian citizens. Bessant also claimed that Iranian officials were transferring hundreds of millions of dollars monthly before the Treasury Department intervened.
Bessant linked this round of pressure to Iran's deteriorating domestic economy. He stated that local inflation had exceeded 200%, a large number of military personnel were not receiving their salaries on time, some police officers were absent from duty, and the Iranian government had resorted to food stamps and internet restrictions.
Crypto assets included in sanctions enforcement
This statement indicates that the US is bringing crypto wallets and on-chain fund flows into a more systematic sanction enforcement framework. For the crypto industry, this means that wallets, channels, and service infrastructure related to sanctioned regions will continue to face greater enforcement and compliance pressures.
Additional information:The descriptions of Iran's economic situation and capital flows in the article are mainly based on public statements from the U.S. Treasury Department, and there was no corresponding response from the Iranian side in the original text.
