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US sanctions Tron USDT wallets linked to Iran, freezing about $131 million
The latest action follows a prior Tether freeze of more than $344 million, leaving roughly $475 million tied to Iran immobilized in less than three months.
CryptoSlate reports that US authorities used Tether’s ability to blacklist addresses tied to Iran to freeze about $131 million in USDT held in four Tron wallets. The July 14 sanctions targeted those wallets, which are linked to the Central Bank of Iran, also known as Bank Markazi.
According to CryptoSlate, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the Office of Foreign Assets Control targeted the wallets as part of a broader effort to disrupt revenue networks Washington accuses Iran of using to evade sanctions, and that US authorities will continue to trace and restrict the funds.
The latest freeze extends an earlier Tether action in April that immobilized more than $344 million across two other Tron wallets, for a combined total of about $475 million tied to Iran. CryptoSlate notes that Tether’s contract controls allow it to prevent token transfers even though wallet balances remain visible on the public blockchain.
CryptoSlate also said the measures arrive as hostilities between Washington and Tehran intensified around the Strait of Hormuz, with US Central Command resuming restrictions on maritime traffic entering and leaving Iranian ports starting July 14. The story adds that the Treasury Department has been pursuing related efforts under an enforcement initiative known as Operation Economic Fury, targeting crypto infrastructure officials say supports Iran’s access to dollar-denominated assets outside the traditional banking system.