US Crypto Dragnet Hits Iran as Bessent Claims Near-$1B Seizure

• Bessent said the US seized about $1B in Iranian crypto assets under Operation Economic Fury.
• He claimed Iran faces 200% inflation and unpaid troops amid wider asset freezes.
• Bessent said Iran talks remain difficult due to the country’s fractured leadership. 

The US has seized roughly $1 billion in Iranian crypto assets, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Friday, expanding Washington’s financial campaign against Tehran.

Speaking on Fox Business at the Reagan National Economic Forum, Bessent said the action was part of Operation Economic Fury, a broader pressure campaign targeting Iran’s financial channels, assets, and leadership-linked wealth.

US Expands Iran Pressure From Banks To Crypto Wallets

Bessent said the seized funds were taken directly from digital wallets. “We have seized about a billion dollars of their crypto,” he said, adding that authorities had “outright grabbed the wallets.”

The figure marked a sharp increase from earlier disclosures, with U.S. authorities reporting by late April that Iran-linked crypto seizures had approached $500 million.

The latest near-$1 billion figure suggests the campaign has moved quickly across digital asset channels. Bessent framed the action as part of a broader financial clampdown rather than a standalone crypto enforcement move.

Operation Economic Fury was launched in March 2025. According to Bessent, the effort has included crypto seizures, frozen bank accounts, and coordination with European allies to seize Iranian properties.

Bessent Says Iran’s Cash Pipeline Is Near Breaking Point

Bessent said the Iranian economy was nearing a breaking point after weeks of military pressure and financial restrictions. He described the regime as being in “crisis” and “at the end of their tether” financially.

He said Iranian leaders had been siphoning $400 million to $500 million a month before the US intervened. According to his account, the proceeds were divided among roughly 80 regime leaders.

Bessent also claimed that inflation in Iran had likely exceeded 200%. He said food vouchers were being distributed, internet access had been shut down, and 40% to 50% of Iranian troops were not being paid.

Those claims were presented as evidence that Washington’s financial pressure campaign is disrupting internal funding channels.

Crypto Seizure Adds Pressure As Talks Stall

Bessent also addressed negotiations with Iran, saying that talks remain difficult due to a fractured leadership structure. He linked that complexity to US and Israeli strikes on senior regime figures.

The Treasury secretary said the campaign was designed to cut off money that he described as stolen from the Iranian people. His remarks placed digital wallets at the center of Washington’s latest economic offensive.

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