USA seized one billion dollars worth of Iran's cryptocurrency assets
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent made an important statement on Friday at the Reagan National Economic Forum. This was reported by Zamin.uz.
According to him, the US government has seized cryptocurrency assets belonging to the Islamic Republic of Iran, valued at nearly one billion dollars. Bessent stated that full control has been established over the digital wallets where these funds were stored, and some owners may not yet have realized they have lost access to their wallets.
International financial publications, specifically the Cointelegraph news agency, provided more detailed information about this operation. This seizure process was carried out as part of Operation Economic Wrath, developed by the US administration to increase economic pressure on Iran.
This large-scale measure, which began in March of this year, aims to restrict Iran's financial assets in several directions. Specifically, along with the seizure of Bitcoin and other types of digital assets, measures are being taken to freeze bank accounts and seize overseas real estate in cooperation with European allies.
These actions are aimed at limiting the financial resources of the Iranian regime. In his speech, Scott Bessent specifically emphasized that the Iranian economy is currently on the brink of a deep crisis.
According to the data he provided, the inflation rate in the country has exceeded two hundred percent, special food coupons are being distributed to the population, and the internet is periodically shut down to prevent social unrest. It is also reported that nearly half of Iran's armed forces are not receiving their salaries on time.
The Treasury Secretary noted that until the US intervention, the country's leadership had been embezzling hundreds of millions of dollars every month and distributing them among high-ranking officials. The newly announced figure of one billion dollars is twice the amount recorded in April of this year.
At the same time, the Iranian government is working on new projects to bypass international sanctions. In particular, there are plans to introduce a Bitcoin-based digital maritime insurance system for cargo shipments passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
This platform, named Hormuz Safe, involves settlements using blockchain technology. Iranian officials aim to bring more than ten billion dollars in additional income to the country's treasury through this project.
