US freezes $131M in Iran-linked USDT wallets

The U.S. Treasury ordered the freezing of four Tron blockchain wallets holding about $131 million in USDt (USDT) that it linked to Iran’s central bank, the department said Tuesday. The action came as Washington renewed a blockade of Iranian ports and reported new military strikes in the region.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed on X that the wallets were connected to the Central Bank of Iran and that U.S. authorities directed the freeze. Bessent wrote, “US Treasury is committed to disrupting and degrading Iran’s illicit financial activities, including its abuse of digital assets.” He added, “We will continue to aggressively follow the money and deny the Iranian regime access to the proceeds of its illicit revenue schemes.”

Blockchain investigator Specter published on-chain data showing that the stablecoin issuer Tether executed freezes on four Tron-based wallets carrying roughly $131 million in USDT after receiving a request from U.S. authorities. Tether has the technical ability to block transfers of the tokens it issues and recorded the freezing actions on the Tron blockchain.

The Treasury’s action follows earlier enforcement this year. In April, Tether froze more than $344 million in USDT at the request of U.S. authorities. In May, Bessent reported that the Treasury had seized around $1 billion in Iranian crypto assets under Operation Economic Fury, a campaign launched in March 2025 to target networks the U.S. says help Iran procure weapons and military supplies. In June the Treasury described Economic Fury as disrupting foreign procurement networks that support the Iranian military’s efforts to acquire weapons.

U.S. officials state that Iran has used digital assets and cryptocurrency services to evade sanctions and to move funds that support procurement and military activities. The Treasury has emphasized using financial tools, including digital-asset enforcement, to freeze assets and disrupt payment and procurement channels tied to the Iranian regime.

The freeze occurred amid an uptick in hostilities. The U.S. announced a renewed blockade of Iranian ports and U.S. Central Command reported a fresh round of strikes on Iranian targets. Iran’s military claimed it conducted drone strikes against U.S. facilities at Jordan’s Al Azraq Air Base; U.S. officials have not independently confirmed that claim.