Central Bank of Iran plans to block rial accounts linked to Tether

IRGC: The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is a major Iranian military and economic entity with extensive influence over domestic institutions, including media outlets and financial operations. It maintains affiliations with key news sources covering regulatory developments in cryptocurrency and sanctions-related matters. Tether: Tether issues the USDT stablecoin, which functions as a widely used digital dollar equivalent in global crypto trading and transfers. The company has cooperated with authorities on freezing Iran-linked wallets amid ongoing scrutiny of its role in regional financial networks. This aligns with the reported concerns over artificial orders in the Tether market affecting Iranian pricing. Fars news agency: Fars News Agency is an Iranian media organization that reports on national policy, security, and economic issues with close institutional ties to the IRGC. It has disclosed the Central Bank's plans to restrict cryptocurrency exchange activities linked to Tether market irregularities. Central Bank of Iran: The Central Bank of Iran serves as the country's main monetary authority overseeing currency policy, banking regulations, and financial stability measures. It is currently planning targeted restrictions on cryptocurrency-related accounts and gateways to address disruptions in the Tether market and foreign exchange pricing. Recent US Senate investigations have highlighted its connections to digital asset networks used for sanctions circumvention. Stablecoin Role: Tether's USDT has been identified as a prominent tool within Iran's parallel payment systems for international transactions. Sanctions Scrutiny: US Senate investigations have examined Tether's involvement in networks connected to Iranian financial activities and sanctions evasion efforts. Regulatory Response: Iranian authorities are addressing alleged market manipulations in stablecoin trading through direct interventions on exchange infrastructure.