U.S. seeks $61 million in USDT tied to Iranian oil sales
U.S. prosecutors filed a civil forfeiture complaint on September 14 seeking about $61 million in USDT allegedly linked to sanctioned Iranian oil sales. The cryptocurrency sits across 10 TRON addresses, which Tether froze in June and July 2025. The targeted wallets held 61,192,367.59 USDT, according to the government’s complaint.
Prosecutors allege the wallets formed part of a wider network that moved more than $1.5 billion from illicit Iranian oil sales. The complaint names Chinese companies Blessed Trust and Hexa Whale, which allegedly used Binance trading accounts to convert oil proceeds into cryptocurrency. Investigators also traced transfers to Iran-linked money services businesses, cryptocurrency addresses and an Iranian exchange.
A September 14 seizure warrant allows the FBI to take custody of the frozen USDT. The government says Tether will burn the frozen tokens and issue replacement USDT for transfer to an FBI-controlled wallet. However, the forfeiture complaint contains allegations that still require a court judgment.
Why it matters
The case highlights growing U.S. scrutiny of stablecoins used in sanctions-evasion networks. It also shows how blockchain tracing and issuer freezes can support government asset-seizure actions.
