15 Million Dollars.. Washington Opens a New Front Against the Revolutionary Guard

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The U.S. State Department announced a reward of up to $15 million for information that helps disrupt the financial mechanisms of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, with a new focus on three senior officials of the aerospace force: Abdollah Mehrabi, Ahmad Jafar Abadi, and Ali Asghar Norouzi.

The "Rewards for Justice" program seeks information about the financial activities of the three leaders, the funding mechanisms of the Revolutionary Guard, the networks and companies associated with it, and any details that could help disrupt its funding sources. The program also offers the possibility of providing arrangements for the resettlement of individuals who provide qualified information.

According to the U.S. State Department, Abdollah Mehrabi heads the Research and Self-Sufficiency Jihad Organization of the aerospace force, which Washington says is responsible for analyzing and developing weapons used in attacks against U.S. forces and infrastructure in the Middle East.

The department notes that Mehrabi has overseen developments in military satellite technology and drone manufacturing, and he is also a co-owner of a company that manufactures engines used in Iranian drones of the "Shahed-131" and "Shahed-136" models.

Ahmad Jafar Abadi is described by the ministry as a senior official of the Aerospace Force, and he participates directly in its operations and logistical procedures.

Ali Asghar Norouzi heads the IRGC Cooperation Foundation, which Washington describes as a financial channel for the interests of the IRGC and its members, and it states that Norouzi has played a role in transferring funds and weapons to armed groups allied with Iran in the Middle East.

This step comes in conjunction with the ongoing U.S. pressure on arms and financing networks linked to Iran, including Treasury Department measures targeting entities and individuals that Washington says assist Tehran in purchasing weapons and military components or evading sanctions.

This move reflects an increasing U.S. focus on the financial structure associated with Iran, alongside the sanctions and actions implemented by the U.S. Treasury Department as part of the "Economic Outcast" initiative, which Washington launched in August aimed at targeting the economic and financial channels linked to the Iranian regime and its networks.

During September, the Treasury Department continued to take actions under the initiative, including targeting networks and entities that it said help Iran finance its activities or evade sanctions, including financial networks and institutions linked to money transfer operations and support for armed groups.

The Aerospace Force is one of the most prominent formations of the Revolutionary Guard, and it is linked to missile programs, drones, and space activities associated with the Guard.

The targeting of its leaders comes at a time when Washington is focusing on capabilities related to drones and missiles, as well as the channels that enable the provision of equipment and components necessary for the development of these capabilities.

According to the U.S. State Department, the information sought may also include networks and companies linked to the Revolutionary Guard, allowing for the tracking of financial and commercial relationships that underpin its operations.

The new reward brings back to the forefront a policy that Washington has used over the past years to obtain information about Iranian leaders and networks linked to the Revolutionary Guard.

The "Rewards for Justice" program is currently offering a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to the disruption of the financial mechanisms of the Revolutionary Guard and its branches, including the "Quds Force," and is also offering a reward of the same amount for information about Abd al-Ridha Shahlaei, one of the senior leaders of the force, including his financial activities, networks, and associates.

In another case, the program offered a reward of up to $20 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Shahram Poursafi, a member of the Revolutionary Guard whom U.S. authorities said worked for the Quds Force in an attempt to assassinate former U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton, according to data from the U.S. Department of Justice.

These precedents show that the reward program has not been limited to targeting specific individuals, but has extended to financing networks and entities that provide the Revolutionary Guard with channels to obtain funds and equipment, which is the angle that Washington is returning to focus on with its new offer.