TEHRAN – The U.S. Justice Department issued a notice on Friday stating it could award up to $10 million to anyone who provides information about individuals it described as key “IRGC leaders.”
It is unclear whether the U.S. body understands that the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) is one branch of Iran’s military, alongside the Army (Artesh), Police, and Basij. Its call for information included names and photos not only of IRGC commanders but also of officials who are not affiliated with the IRGC. Among those listed were several Iranian ministers who serve in the president’s cabinet, as well as the secretary of Iran’s National Security Council. That council is an independent body composed not only of IRGC commanders but also other military officials, cabinet ministers, the Iranian president, the judiciary chief, the parliament speaker, and a representative of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution.
The notice was released as the American war secretary was also delivering a theatrical address to reporters, claiming that Iranian officials are now hiding underground in bunkers. This assertion seems to form the basis for the Justice Department’s request for information, since gaining access to such high-security locations would presumably require insiders—individuals who might need financial incentives.
Once again, however, the American assessment has proven to be mistaken. On the same day the notice was published and the war secretary made those remarks, several Iranian officials named in the announcement were seen publicly in the streets of Tehran. They attended the annual Quds rallies while the U.S. and Israel continued bombing the Iranian capital, despite knowing they were reportedly on the enemy’s assassination list.
According to analysts responding to the notice, American officials seeking exclusive information about the whereabouts of Iranian leaders may be projecting the behavior of their counterparts in Israel, who have either left the occupied territories during the war or are sheltering in heavily fortified bunkers around the clock.
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