After Binance's 2023 $4.3 billion settlement, U.S. prosecutors are examining whether it knowingly allowed Iran-linked trades in breach of sanctions. Binance has not been charged; a civil case seeks about $61 million in crypto allegedly tied to Iranian oil sales.
On Sept. 14, 2026, the U.S. Attorney's Office filed a civil forfeiture complaint seeking crypto allegedly tied to black-market Iranian crude sales. The Justice Department says Chinese companies Blessed Trust and Hexa Whale allegedly used Binance accounts to launder proceeds intended to benefit Iran's government and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Bloomberg reported prosecutors alleged that Iran used crypto channels to launder more than $1.5 billion in illicit oil proceeds overall; the $61 million forfeiture action is not a criminal case against Binance.
Binance's 2023 resolution covered U.S. anti-money-laundering, sanctions and money-transmission violations and imposed enhanced compliance obligations plus an independent federal monitor; Changpeng Zhao resigned as CEO under the terms. Spokesperson Ross O'Leary said Binance has a zero-tolerance policy for sanctions violations and cooperates with law enforcement. The company separately said it did not permit transactions with sanctioned individuals and denied blocking internal compliance investigators from information. Reports also indicate Binance has lobbied to reduce or end the monitor's oversight.
