US offers $10 million for information on location of top 5 Iranian commanders

The United States is offering a large reward for information on five top commanders of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Washington has said the reward could be worth up to $10 million, subject to certain conditions.

The US State Department's 'Rewards for Justice' program announced this on Monday (August 24). Not only that, but arrangements will also be made to relocate informants if necessary. 

The commanders are: IRGC Commander Ahmad Vahidi, Ali Abdollahi, head of Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, Saeed Aghajani, commander of the drone unit of the IRGC Aerospace Force, Hamidreza Lashgarian, head of the IRGC Cyber-Electronic Command, and Majid Khademi, commander of the IRGC Intelligence Department.

According to the US program, these officers lead various key branches of the IRGC. Washington claims that the units they lead are involved in attacks against US citizens and installations and cyber operations targeting critical US infrastructure.

The US Rewards for Justice program also states that information must be such that it can help identify the identity or location of the person concerned. Depending on the importance of the information, in addition to financial rewards, the informant may also be offered relocation benefits for security reasons.

The United States designated the IRGC as a 'Foreign Terrorist Organization' in 2019. Washington says the IRGC plays a key role in Iran's foreign policy and has long used sanctions and rewards programs to counter the activities of its various branches and networks.

The new award announcement comes amid heightened tensions between Iran and the United States, as Washington ramps up economic pressure on Iran. The announcement of the award targeting the IRGC's top leadership is seen as another significant step in the US's anti-Iran pressure campaign.