Against the backdrop of US sanctions: Iran is smuggling funds using crypto
Senior Iranian regime officials have decided to expand the use of digital currencies to bypass sanctions, following measures taken by the US Treasury Department.
Senior officials in the Iranian regime have decided to expand the use of digital currencies as a central tool for smuggling funds out of the country. According to a report by the Kan news outlet, frequent use of the USDT currency by Tether has been recorded, which allows for the conversion of large sums of money into liquid dollars and transferring them without oversight.
In recent years, the Iranian leadership has been using the cryptocurrency sector for its own purposes. These moves are intended to avoid Western sanctions, keep funds outside the country for emergency situations, and conduct transactions beyond Iran's borders.
As recalled, the US Treasury Department recently imposed new sanctions on Iran and significantly increased enforcement against crypto infrastructure in the country with the goal of stopping capital smuggling by the Revolutionary Guards.
Among the moves carried out by the Donald Trump administration: seizure of assets, sanctions on exchanges, and damage to the shadow system. As part of the asset seizure operation, the US administration reported the takeover of Iranian crypto assets worth 1 billion dollars as part of its economic pressure campaign.
In addition, the Treasury Department imposed sanctions on central crypto exchanges, led by Nobitex, which was used by the regime to carry out hidden financial transfers. Furthermore, the administration damaged money laundering networks and shell companies that convert funds from the Central Bank of Iran into stablecoins.
