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Iran’s cryptocurrency mining sector is under fire&nbsp;as&nbsp;United States Senators Elizabeth Warren and Angus King&nbsp;believes its a threat to&nbsp;national security. 
According to a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://called" rel="">letter</a>&nbsp;to National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, sent on May 1, the senators have urged the Biden administration to detail the possible ties between the Iranian government and local crypto miners. 
Senators Warren and King believe that digital assets&nbsp;being mined&nbsp;in Iran are being used to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://crypto.news/iran-launching-a-state-backed-cryptocurrency-to-avoid-u-s-sanctions/" rel="">bypass U.S. sanctions</a>&nbsp;and fund terrorist organizations like “Hezbollah.” Further, they allege that these funds&nbsp;were also used&nbsp;to fuel the nation’s attack on Israel in April. 
Iran has been sanctioned by&nbsp;U.S. along with&nbsp;other international bodies since 1979.&nbsp;Earlier this year, the&nbsp;Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://crypto.news/ofac-sanctions-entities-behind-irans-digital-currency-program/" rel="">imposed sanctions</a>&nbsp;on&nbsp;several entities involved in&nbsp;the illegal export of&nbsp;technology from multiple U.S. companies to Iran. 
“Unless we take action, Iran will continue to use crypto to fund attacks against Israel,” the letter stated. 
 You might also like: <a href="https://crypto.news/bitcoin-plunges-over-8-percent-heels-iran-drone-attack/" rel=""> Iran drone attack ripples through crypto markets, Bitcoin plunges 8% </a> 
In the letter, the duo cited a report that claimed the Iranian government preferred “newly minted” Bitcoin since it is “less traceable.”&nbsp;It was also reported&nbsp;that Bitcoin miners in the nation generated $1 billion in revenue in 2021. 
As such, the Senators have asked U.S. officials to provide data on revenue generated by Iranian crypto miners,&nbsp;its&nbsp;potential use in money laundering, and how they plan&nbsp;on addressing&nbsp;these “threats to U.S. national security.” 
Interestingly, the Iranian government has&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://crypto.news/iranian-authorities-impound-1000-bitcoin-mining-machines/" rel="">cracked down</a>&nbsp;on the cryptocurrency mining sector&nbsp;on multiple occasions&nbsp;since&nbsp;mining was&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://crypto.news/iran-bitcoin-mining-giant-receives-government-license/" rel="">legalized</a>&nbsp;in the nation in 2019.&nbsp; 
In 2021, the nation confiscated approximately 150,000 pieces of crypto-mining equipment to address&nbsp;<a href="https://crypto.news/iran-electricity-tariff-bitcoin-mining/" target="_blank" rel="">concerns</a>&nbsp;of electricity depletion. The equipment, however, was&nbsp;<a href="https://crypto.news/iranian-authorities-returned-150k-of-seized-crypto-mining-equipment/" target="_blank" rel="">released</a>&nbsp;in January of last year. 
 Read more: <a href="https://crypto.news/iran-israel-conflict-funding-rates-860m-sell-off/" rel=""> Iran-Israel conflict, negative funding rates triggered $860m crypto sell-off </a>

US Senators cite security concerns over Iran’s crypto mining sector

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