US Claims to Seize Iranian Crypto Assets Worth $500 Million
JAKARTA - United States Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington had seized Iranian crypto assets worth nearly $500 million (Rp8.6 trillion).
"We managed to seize about 350 million dollars in crypto assets, and then an additional 100 million dollars that we just got. So the total is almost half a billion," Bessent told Fox Business as reported by RIA Novosti, Thursday, April 30, reported by ANTARA.
On April 16, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the US Treasury Department launched an "Economic Fury" operation against Iran to maximize economic pressure on the country.
On February 28, the US and Israel launched a joint attack on targets in Iran, including in Tehran, which caused damage and civilian casualties. Iran responded by attacking Israeli territory and US military facilities in the Middle East as a form of self-defense.
On April 11, Iran and the US held talks in Islamabad after US President Donald Trump announced he had reached an agreement with Tehran on a two-week ceasefire.
Then on April 12, the head of the US delegation, Vice President J.D.Vance, said Iran and the US failed to reach an agreement in the negotiations. The US delegation returned to its country without results.
Trump then announced a blockade against all ships entering and leaving Iranian ports on both sides of the Strait of Hormuz.