US Offers $20 Million Reward for Information on Iranian Assassination Plot

In a significant development, the United States has announced a reward of $20 million for information that could lead to the arrest of an alleged Iranian mastermind behind a plot to assassinate John Bolton, a former White House official. This announcement was made by the US State Department on Thursday, highlighting the ongoing tensions between the US and Iran.

The individual in question, Shahram Poursafi, is reportedly a member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). In August 2022, US officials revealed that they had uncovered a plot orchestrated by Poursafi to kill Bolton, who served as the national security advisor under former President Donald Trump. Bolton is known for his strong stance against Iran and was a key advocate for Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal in 2018.

The State Department's “Rewards for Justice” program is now actively seeking information that could lead to Poursafi's arrest or conviction. According to the notice released on Thursday, the program is offering a reward of up to $20 million. This move comes at a time when Trump, now 78 years old and campaigning for another term in the White House, has claimed that there are “big threats” to his life from Iran.

Reports indicate that Poursafi allegedly offered an unidentified individual within the United States a sum of $300,000 to carry out the assassination of Bolton in the Washington, D.C. area. This plot appears to have been set in motion following the US killing of Qasem Soleimani, a top commander of the IRGC, in Iraq in January 2020. However, the plan did not progress as the person who was supposed to carry out the assassination became an informant for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

In response to these allegations, Iranian authorities have dismissed them as “fiction.” It is important to note that the United States designated the entire IRGC as a “foreign terrorist organization” in 2019, following the earlier designation of its external operations unit, the Quds Force.

This situation underscores the complex and often dangerous relationship between the United States and Iran. As tensions continue to rise, the implications of such plots and the responses from both nations could have far-reaching consequences. The announcement of the reward not only highlights the seriousness of the threat but also reflects the US government's commitment to addressing security concerns related to foreign adversaries. As the political landscape evolves, it remains crucial for citizens to stay informed about these developments, as they may impact international relations and national security in the future.