Iran gambling network helped channel $4 billion through crypto exchange - Reuters

Iranian authorities have stepped up crackdowns on youth social hubs in Tehran, including dismantling outdoor seating and barriers around cafés as part of a broader effort to reduce informal public gathering. Reuters reports that municipal crews used sledgehammers along Sanaei Street in central Tehran days after metal seals were placed on doors of venues popular with young people. The article links the physical changes to an expanding domestic security campaign aimed at “de-patterning” everyday public spaces that can enable civil defiance. Beyond central cafés, similar actions are described in Tajrish, targeting street musicians, artisans and informal vendors. Reuters also says an Iranian gambling network helped channel $4 billion through a crypto exchange, tied to the same broader backdrop of sanctions and crypto use.