USDT issuer Tether has frozen four crypto wallets on the Tron network. US authorities confirmed the addresses are linked to Iran’s Central Bank.
The US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) had placed four crypto addresses on its sanctions list. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the agency intends to “aggressively track financial flows and deny the Iranian regime access to revenues from its illicit schemes.“
.@USTreasury is committed to disrupting and degrading Iran’s illicit financial activities, including its abuse of digital assets. Today, Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned multiple wallets tied to the Central Bank of Iran, resulting in the freeze of over $130…
— Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (@SecScottBessent) July 14, 2026
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Tether froze the four addresses on Tron. In total, they held $131 million in USDT stablecoin.
The move coincided with renewed US-Iran military action: Washington announced a new wave of strikes and the reimposition of a blockade on Iranian ports.
How the USDT Freeze Happened and Who Controlled the Wallets
On-chain analyst Specter first reported the freeze, noting that the funds on the four addresses came from payment provider DTC Pay and exchange Bitso. According to OFAC, these crypto wallets are linked to the IRGC and Iran’s Central Bank.
Tether has just frozen four TRON wallets holding a total of $131M USDT.
— Specter (@SpecterAnalyst) July 14, 2026
Looking at the source of the funds, most were withdrawn from DTC Pay, a payment service provider, and Bitso, a cryptocurrency exchange.
The reason behind the blacklisting is still unknown.
Stay smart. pic.twitter.com/MM9V582Yhk
The frozen amounts broke down as follows:
- TXGHxdYbGy574z5hBu4LNzq9NzjZQ9bhUf — $12.3M
- TJdgB1k6ot3f2nLuZug6D8eD3HavTmzmSK — $30.96M
- TAhwhFv3JpK39Nc2m8W5LPCcoTisutiRfp — $1.28M
- TFQbqaNbmq2xsVor2NbufLkYZvxFC9wC7k — $85.47M
The OFAC sanctions list was updated on July 14, 2026, adding six addresses–four of which contained frozen assets. Tether moved quickly to block the funds, consistent with its policy of cooperating with law enforcement.
Read more: Not Just USDT and USDC — These Top 3 New Stablecoins Are Quietly Taking Over Crypto in 2026
Geopolitical Context: US-Iran Conflict Escalates
The freeze came amid a sharp escalation in the US-Iran conflict. The June ceasefire has collapsed.
The US has reimposed a blockade on Iranian ports, and CENTCOM announced a new wave of strikes near the Strait of Hormuz. The IRGC responded by striking US support facilities in Kuwait, a base in Jordan, and US Fifth Fleet assets in Bahrain.
Bessent emphasized that “the Treasury will not tolerate any support for the Iranian military” and will continue using all tools to cut off the regime’s financial channels.
Learn more: USDT vs EU Regulation — Why Tether Is Facing Legal and Compliance Challenges in Europe
The post Tether Freezes $131M in USDT Stablecoin in Iran-Linked Tron Wallets as Middle East Conflict Escalates appeared first on Bitcoin Foundation.