The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has initiated a civil forfeiture action to recover approximately $584,741 in Tether (USDT) from Mohammad Abedini, an Iranian national linked to military drone technology. Abedini founded San’at Danesh Rahpooyan Aflak Co. (SDRA), which supplies navigation equipment for Iranian Shahed drones. The DOJ alleges that these drones, equipped with technology sourced from SDRA, have been utilized in international conflicts, including a deadly attack on U.S. service members in Jordan attributed to an Iranian UAV using SDRA’s technology. Abedini faces charges for providing material support to foreign terrorist entities and conspiracy to procure sensitive technology illegally. He was detained in Italy but is believed to be in Iran now. Although the USDT is held in a private, unhosted wallet, there is no clarity regarding how the seizure will be executed, highlighting complexities in accessing decentralized digital assets.

Source 🔗