$15 million... Washington opens a new front against the Revolutionary Guard

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The US State Department announced a reward of up to $15 million for information that would help disrupt the financial mechanisms of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, with a new focus on three senior officials of the aerospace force, Abdullah Mehrabi, Ahmad Jafarabadi, and Ali Asghar Norouzi.

The Rewards for Justice program requests information on the financial activities of the three leaders, the IRGC's funding mechanisms, its associated networks and companies, and any details that could help disrupt its funding sources. The program also offers the possibility of providing resettlement arrangements for persons who provide eligible information.

According to the US State Department, Abdullah Mehrabi heads the Jihad Research and Self-Sufficiency Organization affiliated with the Aerospace Force, which Washington says is responsible for analyzing and developing weapons used in attacks against US forces and infrastructure in the Middle East.

The Ministry notes that Mehrabi supervised developments in the field of military satellites and drone manufacturing, and is also a co-owner of a company that manufactures engines used in Iranian Shahed-131 and Shahed-136 drones.

As for Ahmed Jafarabadi, the ministry describes him as a senior official in the aerospace force, and that he directly participates in its operations and logistical procedures.

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

The move comes in conjunction with continued US pressure on arms and financing networks linked to Iran, including Treasury Department measures targeting entities and individuals that Washington says are helping Tehran purchase weapons and military components or evade sanctions.

This step reflects an increasing American focus on the financial structure linked to Iran, in parallel with the sanctions and measures implemented by the US Treasury Department as part of the “Economic Outcast” operation, which Washington launched in August with the aim of targeting the economic and financial channels linked to the Iranian regime and its networks.

During September, the Treasury Department continued to take measures within the operation, including targeting networks and entities that it said were helping Iran finance its activities or circumvent sanctions, including financial networks and institutions linked to money transfers and support for armed groups.

The Aerospace Force is one of the most prominent formations of the Revolutionary Guard, and is linked to the Guard’s missile and drone programs and space activities.

The targeting of its leaders comes at a time when Washington is focusing on capabilities related to drones and missiles, in addition to the channels that allow the provision of the equipment and components necessary to develop these capabilities.

According to the US State Department, the requested information may also include networks and companies associated with the Revolutionary Guard, allowing the financial and commercial relationships behind its operations to be traced.

The new reward brings 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. It is also offering a reward of the same value for information on Abdul Reza Shahlai, one of the Corps’ senior commanders, including his financial activities, networks, and aides.

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 who US authorities said worked for the Quds Force in an attempt to assassinate former US National Security Advisor John Bolton, according to US Department of Justice data.

These precedents show that the bounty program was not limited to targeting specific individuals, but rather 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.