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The US Department of State has announced a reward of up to USD 15 million for information on financial mechanisms linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as part of expanded sanctions and pressure measures targeting Tehran's alleged illicit oil and funding networks amid the conflict in West Asia.
In a statement issued on Monday, State Department spokesperson Thomas "Tommy" Pigott said the US is intensifying efforts under its "Economic Fury" sanctions framework aimed at disrupting revenue streams that Washington claims are used to finance terrorism and regional destabilisation activities. "The Trump Administration is intensifying pressure on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) by targeting the financial networks that enable its illicit oil operations," the statement read. "The US Department of State's Rewards for Justice program is offering a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to the disruption of the financial mechanisms of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its various branches," it added. The State Department announced sanctions on a network allegedly involved in selling and shipping Iranian oil to overseas buyers on behalf of the IRGC, along with three senior officials from the IRGC's Shahid Purja'fari Oil Headquarters. The US said these individuals were involved in coordinating oil-related financial transactions. According to the statement, the measures are intended to cut off funding channels that the US alleges are used to support proxy groups and military activities across the region, claiming that the Iranian people continue to face economic hardship due to corruption and mismanagement. "These actions disrupt illicit funding streams that finance Iran's support for terrorist proxies and regional aggression. These oil revenues belong to the Iranian people, who face daily economic hardship due to the Iranian regime's corruption, mismanagement, and prioritisation of funding terrorist militias and weapons programmes over addressing the basic needs of its citizens," the statement read. The State Department's Rewards for Justice programme also mentioned the same USD 15 million reward for information that could help disrupt the IRGC's financial infrastructure, including its various branches such as the IRGC-Quds Force. The programme said it is seeking information on multiple aspects of IRGC-linked financing, including oil-for-money schemes, front companies, sanctions-evasion networks, financial institutions facilitating transactions, and procurement channels for dual-use technologies. (ANI)
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