$550M in Iran-Linked USDT Frozen as Tether Cooperates with Law Enforcement

Tether has helped freeze around $550 million in USDT linked to Iran's Central Bank and sanctioned networks, as part of its cooperation with law enforcement agencies worldwide. The company says it works closely with over 340 agencies across 67 countries, resulting in more than $4.9 billion in assets being frozen.

According to Tether, the freeze was carried out in collaboration with U.S. authorities and resulted in around $474 million of the total amount being frozen through two major actions in April and July 2026. The remaining approximately $75 million was frozen through smaller actions between January and September 2026.

Tether's CEO, Paolo Ardoino, stated that public blockchains provide a level of visibility into the movement of funds that doesn't exist with cash, allowing authorities to act when provided with reliable information about suspected illicit activity. The company has also worked with Israel's National Bureau for Counter Terror Financing (NBCTF), freezing over $22 million in USDT across 40 cases.