The U.S. Offers Up to $20 Million Reward for Information Leading to the Arrest of Shahram Pour-Safi, IRGC Member

The official account of the U.S. State Department's 'Rewards for Justice' program announced on Thursday, October 5, that it is offering 'up to $20 million for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Shahram Pour-Safi, also known as Mahdi Rezaei.' According to the report, Shahram Pour-Safi is an official member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) who 'is said to have attempted to hire an international assassin to kill John Bolton, former U.S. National Security Advisor, on behalf of the IRGC's Quds Force.' The Rewards for Justice program added: 'From October 2021 to April 2022, Pour-Safi attempted to hire criminal individuals in the United States to kill Bolton in the Washington D.C. area or Maryland for a sum of $300,000, using encrypted messaging apps.' The report states: 'Pour-Safi is accused of facilitating and financing the attempted extraterritorial murder of the former U.S. National Security Advisor, which U.S. officials consider a terrorist act.' According to the Rewards for Justice program, Pour-Safi told an assassin who later became an FBI informant that 'after successfully assassinating Bolton, he has another assassination mission for him.' Previously, the U.S. Department of Justice had filed a criminal complaint against Pour-Safi on August 5, 2022, for his role in the plot to assassinate John Bolton. If convicted, Pour-Safi could face a maximum of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for his role in facilitating an extraterritorial murder through hiring an assassin, and up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for facilitating and attempting to support the assassination plot against Mr. Bolton. This IRGC member remains outside the United States. The U.S. Treasury Department designated Pour-Safi as a 'Special Global Terrorist' on June 1 of last year under Executive Order 13224 due to his role in the assassination plot against John Bolton. This designation means that any property and interests of Pour-Safi in assets under U.S. jurisdiction and control are blocked, and U.S. citizens are generally prohibited from engaging in any transactions with him. The Rewards for Justice program noted that 'both the IRGC and the IRGC Quds Force have been designated as foreign terrorist organizations by the U.S. Secretary of State under section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act.' Previously, Republican Senator Chuck Grassley had released FBI documents showing that individuals supported by the Islamic Republic of Iran were seeking to assassinate several prominent U.S. political figures in connection with the killing of Qassem Soleimani, the former commander of the IRGC Quds Force. These documents, reported by Fox News, were provided to Senator Grassley through 'whistleblower statements that are protected under law,' indicating that the Islamic Republic has targeted several American politicians and military personnel, including President Joe Biden, former President Donald Trump, and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley.