US Sanctions Iranian Crypto Exchanges for IRGC Ties

The U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has imposed sanctions on two Iranian cryptocurrency exchanges, Shelbit and Aban Tether, for allegedly supporting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and facilitating illicit finance.

The move, announced [Date], marks a significant escalation in Washington's efforts to disrupt Tehran's use of digital assets to bypass international sanctions.

The Treasury Department accused Shelbit and Aban Tether of converting Iranian rials into digital currencies, particularly Tether (USDT), allowing the IRGC to move funds across borders with relative anonymity.