U.S. Seizes $61M in Crypto Linked to Iranian Oil Laundering
The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a civil forfeiture complaint to seize $61 million in cryptocurrency, alleging it represents proceeds from black-market Iranian oil sales. Prosecutors claim Tehran used a network involving Chinese firms and Binance accounts to launder over $1.5 billion in illicit funds to support the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. While Binance denies facilitating sanctioned transactions, the action highlights how crypto is being used to bypass naval blockades and sanctions during the ongoing Iran-U.S. conflict.