MANAMA: A $15 million reward is being offered by the US for information about financial operations aiding Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its proxies, including any entities operating illegally in Bahrain.
The US State Department Rewards for Justice Programme released details about its new plan to disrupt IRGC financial mechanisms to fund terrorist attacks and unsettling activities.
“The IRGC has financed numerous terrorist attacks and activities globally,” stated the US State Department.
“The IRGC-Quds Force leads Iran’s terrorist operations outside Iran via its proxies, such as Hamas, Hizbollah and Iran-backed militia groups in Iraq.”
It added that the reward for information was aimed at obtaining key information on the IRGC sources of revenue such as front companies, groups and individuals evading US and international sanctions.
“The IRGC–QF has planned numerous significant terrorist activities around the world, in countries such as Bahrain, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Germany, Kenya, Turkey, and the United States.
“The IRGC has been involved in terrorist plots and supports terrorism worldwide. It is responsible for numerous attacks targeting Americans and US facilities including those that have killed US citizens.”
Bahrain’s Interior Ministry has previously said that Iran-based ‘Saraya Al Ashtar’ and ‘Saraya Al Mukhtar’ terrorist groups received support from IRGC and targeted Bahrain’s security.
“Both groups committed terrorist crimes, causing deaths and injuries among citizens and residents,” stated the ministry in a June 6 statement.
The statement was issued on the same day when members of the Terrorist Financing Targeting Centre (TFTC) sanctioned 16 individuals, entities and groups affiliated with a variety of regional terrorist organisations. The targets included three individuals associated with IRGC-QF, and terrorist groups Saraya Al Ashtar and Saraya Al Mukhtar.
The TFTC was created to enhance multilateral efforts among the US and the Gulf countries - Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) - to counter regional money laundering and terrorist financing networks.
The centre added that both the outlawed groups were backed by Iran and paved way for Tehran to exert greater influence in Bahrain, while plotting attacks against US and Bahrain officials.
The State Department in 2019 designated the IRGC as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation and in 2017, the US Department of the Treasury designated the IRGC as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist.
As a result, all of the IRGC’s property and interests in property subject to US jurisdiction are blocked, and Americans are generally prohibited from engaging in any transactions with the IRGC.
The 1984 Act to Combat International Terrorism established Rewards for Justice (RFJ), the State Department’s counterterrorism rewards programme administered by the Diplomatic Security Service.
Its mission is to bring international terrorists to justice and prevent acts of international terrorism against Americans or property.
RFJ played a significant role in the arrest of international terrorist Ramzi Yousef, who was convicted in the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Centre. To date, RFJ has paid in excess of $150m to more than 100 people who provided information that put terrorists behind bars or prevented acts of international terrorism worldwide.
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