Iran’s USDT Trade Route Has U.S. Chokepoints

1 month ago 12

Key Takeaways

Iranian firms reportedly settle trade with crypto.
USDT avoids banks, not sanctions exposure.
Undeclared earnings reportedly exceed $100 billion.
OFAC has blocked Iranian crypto exchanges.
Counterparties remain the payment chain’s weakness.

Iran’s central bank has reportedly eased enforcement of some foreign-currency rules as war and sanctions restrict access to conventional payment channels. Some businesses are turning to USDT and Bitcoin through domestic exchanges to settle foreign trade, according to a Financial Times investigation.

No formal policy approving cryptocurrency for international trade has been announced. The reported change suggests that authorities are tolerating some crypto-based settlement as exporters struggle to repatriate earnings and importers look for ways to pay overseas suppliers.