US Treasury Expands Iran Sanctions to Cover Crypto, Gold, Shipping and Tech

The US Treasury has broadened its authority to sanction anyone operating within Iran’s cryptocurrency industry, regardless of their location, as part of a wider crackdown on Tehran’s financial activities. The Office of Foreign Assets Control can now target foreign exchanges, brokers and service providers linked to Iran’s digital asset ecosystem, which officials say has increasingly been used to evade sanctions.

Billions Flowing Through Iran-Linked Wallets

According to blockchain data, Iran’s crypto ecosystem reached nearly $7.8 billion in 2025, with wallets connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps receiving more than $3 billion during the year. Crypto is one of five key sectors, alongside technology, gold, aviation and shipping, included under the Treasury’s broader sanctions campaign known as Operation Economic Outcast.

Individual Sanctioned Over $100 Million in Crypto Transactions

Alongside nearly 60 newly sanctioned entities, the Treasury also targeted a UAE based vessel broker accused of processing more than $100 million in crypto payments since 2023 to support Iranian oil sales linked to the IRGC. This follows earlier sanctions against Iranian crypto exchanges accused of facilitating similar transactions.