US offers $20M for Iranian accused of plotting to kill ex-Trump advisor

In this July 8, 2019, file photo, then-national security adviser John Bolton speaks at the Christians United for Israel's annual summit, in Washington. A single paper copy in a nondescript envelope arrived at the White House on Dec. 30. Four weeks later, news of John Bolton’s book manuscript about his time as President Donald Trump’s national security adviser has exploded into public view, sending a jolt through the president’s impeachment trial. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

The US on Thursday announced a $20 million reward for information leading to the arrest of a member of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) over an alleged plot to assassinate John Bolton, who served as US national security advisor under then-President Donald Trump.

Shahram Poursafi, also known as Mehdi Rezayi and Shahin Pourbakhsh, is accused of working with criminal elements within the US to orchestrate a murder-for-hire plan, offering $300,000 for the assassination in late 2021 and early 2022.

According to US State Department officials, Poursafi allegedly provided "material support and resources" for the operation and even indicated a second target for the assassin after Bolton, a longtime fierce critic of Iran.

The plot was foiled when the would-be hitman became a confidential source for US authorities.

A criminal complaint against Poursafi was unsealed by the Justice Department in August 2022, charging him with multiple offences, including providing "material support and resources" for the murder plot.

By June 2023, he was designated a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the US Treasury.

If caught and convicted, Poursafi faces up to 25 years in prison and substantial fines, according to the State Department.

Poursafi remains at large abroad, and the State Department encourages anyone with information to contact the Rewards for Justice programme through secure channels.

Escalating threats

The announcement comes amid heightened concerns for former President Donald Trump’s safety, with his campaign recently stating that he had been briefed on "real and specific threats" from Iran. Trump was recently the target of two apparent assassination attempts, both by Americans with no reported ties to Iran.

These developments coincide with world leaders gathering for this week’s UN General Assembly, where Masoud Pezeshkian, Iran’s new president, expressed his country’s desire "to play an effective and constructive role" on the global stage.

Pezeshkian, who took office this July, is seen as a reformer, but it is not known if his tenure will see any improvement in relations with the US, which have been rocky for decades.

Bolton was known as a “hawk” towards Iran during his time as national security advisor in 2018-2019.

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Source: TRT