«We are monitoring the money that Tehran is trying desperately to move out of the country and targeting all financial lifelines related to the regime,» said US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on X.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced on X that the US government was freezing $344 million of cryptocurrencies held «in various wallets linked to Iran», as Washington seeks to increase pressure on Tehran. «We are monitoring the money that Tehran is trying desperately to move out of the country and targeting all financial lifelines related to the regime,» Scott Bessent assured in his message. The stated intention is to «systematically degrade Tehran’s ability to generate, move, and repatriate funds», he added.
Washington is seeking to increase pressure on Iran to lift the blockade imposed on maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran decided to close this strategic waterway, through which about 20% of the world’s oil passes, in retaliation for hostilities triggered after the attacks carried out by the United States and Israel on the country on February 28, which plunged the region into a new conflict.
Washington and Tehran have agreed to implement a ceasefire to allow for negotiations, with the first round yielding no results. US President Donald Trump unilaterally decided to extend the ceasefire indefinitely. Scott Bessent’s announcement comes as White House special envoy Steve Witkoff and the president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, are set to travel to Islamabad (Pakistan) on Saturday to meet with an Iranian delegation for a new round of negotiations.
