US Treasury’s OFAC sanctions 2 Iran-linked crypto exchanges

The US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions against two digital asset exchanges it said that “the Iranian regime relies on to launder billions of dollars” amid military actions between the two countries. 

In a Friday notice, OFAC said it had taken measures against crypto exchanges Shelbit and Aban Tether for “facilitating illicit cryptocurrency activity and sanctions evasion,” using the proceeds to support Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The government agency also sanctioned Iranian national Siavash Kayvanpour and crypto wallets and companies tied to him, one of which operates Shelbit.

“We will continue to increase the economic pressure,” said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. “Whether in dollars, rials, or crypto, Treasury will hunt down and dismantle the illicit financial networks that keep the regime afloat.”

According to the US Treasury, IRGC-controlled wallets sent more than $1 million in crypto to addresses tied to Shelbit, while wallets linked to Kayvanpour sent $2 million in digital assets to Nobitex, an Iranian exchange added to the US’ list of sanctioned entities in June. The agency said that Shelbit had facilitated the transfer of $2 million in crypto to IRGC-controlled wallets.

OFAC’s actions were the latest by the US government to target Iran’s finances amid both countries’ military conflict. The department designated digital asset exchanges Zedcex and Zedxio as sanctioned entities in January and froze $131 million in wallets linked to Iran in June.