WxMoney - U.S. freezes $344 million in Iran-linked USDTs as part of Operation Economic Fury

04.05.2026

U.S. freezes $344 million in Iran-linked USDTs as part of Operation Economic Fury

The U.S. Treasury Department announced the freezing of $344 million in digital assets linked to Iran as part of Operation Economic Fury. The measure is aimed at undermining Tehran's ability to generate, move and recover funds amid ongoing geopolitical tensions. on April 23, 2026, Tether, the issuer of the USDT stablecoin, froze funds at two addresses on the Tron network:

Address TNiq9AXBp9EjUqhDhrwrfvAA8U3GUQZH81 with a balance of about $213 million.
Address TTiDLWE6fZK8okMJv6ijg42yrH6W2pjSr9 with a balance of approximately $131 million.

The actions were taken at the request of the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). Analysis of the transactions revealed that the addresses in question are linked to Iranian financial institutions, including the Central Bank of Iran, as well as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Iran has been actively using cryptocurrencies to circumvent international sanctions, making such measures necessary to curb illicit financial flows. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent emphasized that the Treasury Department will continue to systematically disrupt Tehran's financial channels by monitoring the flow of funds that the Iranian regime is attempting to move out of the country. The measure underscores the ability of stablecoin issuers like Tether to cooperate with law enforcement to enforce sanctions and prevent illegal digital asset activity.

Return to blog