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US Treasury Secretary: 'America has seized $1 billion in Iranian crypto assets'
Bessent said the seizure is part of Operation Economic Fury, which he said has cut off Iran’s financial lifelines and pushed its economy toward crisis.
On Thursday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that U.S. authorities have seized roughly $1 billion in Iranian cryptocurrency assets, stating officials "outright grabbed the wallets" as part of Operation Economic Fury.
Launched in March 2025, Operation Economic Fury targets Tehran's sanctions-evasion networks that previously siphoned an estimated $400 million to $500 million monthly through cryptocurrency channels.
Bessent stated the seized funds are held for terrorism victims and the Iranian people, while asserting financial pressure has left the regime in "crisis," with 40% to 50% of troops reportedly unpaid.
Alongside cryptocurrency seizures, U.S. service members enforce a naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, with Bessent praising young personnel: "They've done an incredible job," he told FOX Business.
Treasury officials plan further forfeiture actions against Iranian assets, reinforcing the administration's doctrine that "economic security is national security" and reducing dangerous overdependence on foreign adversaries.