US Treasury’s OFAC sanctions 2 Iran-linked crypto exchanges
The US Treasury’s OFAC sanctioned two Iranian crypto exchanges, Shelbit and Aban Tether, for allegedly helping the Iranian regime launder funds and evade sanctions through cryptocurrency. Treasury said the exchanges and related wallets helped support Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). It also sanctioned Iranian national Siavash Kayvanpour and associated wallets and companies, including one linked to Shelbit. Treasury said IRGC-controlled wallets sent more than $1 million in crypto to Shelbit-related addresses, while wallets tied to Kayvanpour sent $2 million to Nobitex, another Iranian exchange previously sanctioned by the US. OFAC also said Shelbit facilitated a $2 million transfer to IRGC-controlled wallets. The move is part of a broader US effort to disrupt Iran’s financial networks during heightened military conflict, following earlier sanctions on other crypto exchanges and the freezing of Iran-linked wallets.
