U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the seizure of approximately $500 million in cryptocurrency assets as part of an operation to pressure Iran, Cointelegraph reported. Appearing on Fox Business on the 29th (local time), Secretary Bessent explained the achievements of 'Operation Economic Fury,' ordered by President Donald Trump in March 2025, stating, "We are freezing bank accounts everywhere. More importantly, we are breaking the will to even trade with the Iranian regime." He added that retirement pensions and overseas real estate of Iranian officials are also subject to sanctions. This $500 million figure is a significant increase from previously disclosed sanctioned amounts. Last week, following sanctions by the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on Iran-linked cryptocurrency wallets, stablecoin issuer Tether froze over $344 million in USDT.
