The U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent wrote on the 24th: "Under the 'Economic Fury' operation (as opposed to the 'Epic Fury' military campaign), the U.S. Department of the Treasury will continue systematically undermining Iran's ability to earn, transfer, and repatriate funds. The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Treasury is imposing sanctions on multiple cryptocurrency wallets linked to Iran, freezing cryptocurrency assets worth $344 million. We will track all attempts by Iran to move funds abroad and precisely target every financial lifeline of this regime."
This freeze of $344 million in cryptocurrency is a pivotal component of President Trump’s 'Economic Fury' campaign against Iran. It forms a meticulously designed, interlocking strategic package aimed at completely strangling Iran’s economy after a military ceasefire, applying maximum pressure to force comprehensive concessions at the negotiation table.
'Economic Fury' is a continuation and complement to 'Epic Fury,' designed to fundamentally dismantle Iran’s war capabilities. Bessent also issued a clear warning to financial institutions in relevant countries (China, Hong Kong, UAE, Oman) not to facilitate Iranian trade, warning that failure to comply could result in secondary sanctions.
The U.S. strategy of maximum pressure is a coordinated 'combination punch' involving military, political, and diplomatic actions, with the goal of forcing Iran back to the negotiating table.
Currently, a U.S. envoy is heading to Pakistan to advance negotiations. The White House claims to have seen "progress" from Iran’s side, though Iran has not yet made direct arrangements for talks but will instead relay messages through Pakistan.
The new round of financial sanctions (April 24) and diplomatic mediation (April 26) are separated by only one day—clear evidence that this is a tightly connected chain of actions, revealing the urgency the U.S. feels about reaching a negotiated outcome.
Freezing such a large sum of funds at this moment is intended to weaken Iran’s confidence before negotiations, demonstrating the U.S.’s capability to cut off Iran’s financial lifelines at any time, thereby securing absolute initiative in the upcoming confrontation.
In short, this sanction is not merely an economic blow to Iran, but also a global-scale "digital financial demonstration." It sends a clear message to the world: within the dollar-dominated digital financial system, there is no true sanctuary beyond the law. For nations or entities relying on cryptocurrencies for cross-border settlements, this serves as a deafening alarm bell.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1863443141606428/
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