Binance Sues Wall Street Journal Over Iran Report

TLDR

• Binance filed a defamation lawsuit against Dow Jones in a federal court in New York.
• The lawsuit targets a February 23 report published by The Wall Street Journal.
• The report alleged that Iranian entities may have used Binance to evade U.S. sanctions.
• Binance denied the allegations and called the claims false and defamatory.
• The exchange stated that it provided factual corrections before the article was published.

Binance has filed a defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal in federal court in New York. The exchange sued Dow Jones after a report linked its platform to Iranian sanctions evasion. The filing comes days after a U.S. judge dismissed a separate case tied to alleged terror financing claims.

The complaint targets an article published on February 23 that cited a Justice Department probe. Binance claims the report contains false statements about its compliance controls. The exchange seeks compensatory damages, legal fees, and a jury trial.

Binance Challenges Report Over Iran Sanctions Claims

Binance filed the lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. The company named Dow Jones, the publisher of The Wall Street Journal, is the defendant. The action followed a report that questioned whether Iranian entities used Binance to bypass sanctions.

The article stated that the U.S. Justice Department had begun examining Iran’s use of the exchange. It cited concerns from investigators and lawmakers about possible sanctions violations. Binance rejected the claims and said the publication misrepresented its compliance framework.

An American reporter, Eleanor Terrett, disclosed details of the filing on March 11. She reported that Binance acted after the outlet published the February story. The lawsuit marks a direct legal response to the allegations.

Binance Seeks Jury Trial and Damages

In the complaint, Binance argued that the article included “false and defamatory” statements. The company stated that those claims harmed its reputation and business interests. It also asserted that it had provided factual corrections before publication.

Binance claimed that The Wall Street Journal ignored those corrections and proceeded with the story. The exchange stated that it maintains strict anti-money laundering and sanctions compliance procedures. It denied facilitating transactions for sanctioned Iranian entities.

The lawsuit requests compensatory damages, though Binance has not disclosed the dollar amount. It also seeks recovery of legal fees and related costs. The company demanded a jury trial to resolve the dispute.

The filing follows a recent legal development involving Binance in another federal case. A U.S. judge dismissed allegations tied to an alleged terror financing matter. That dismissal cleared the exchange of those specific claims.

Binance now faces a new legal battle centered on defamation. The case will proceed in federal court in New York. Court records show that the complaint was filed on Wednesday, March 11.