The United States is offering a reward of up to $20 million for information about Iran’s nuclear program, despite President Donald Trump’s repeated claims that he has destroyed Iran’s capabilities.
Rewards for Justice (RFJ), a State Department program, is seeking information about Iran’s nuclear facilities, equipment and related personnel, the program said in a social media post Friday, and informants may be offered relocation.
During last year’s 12-day conflict, President Trump quickly declared that Iran’s main nuclear enrichment facility was “completely and completely destroyed.” He has maintained this assessment several times since then, attacking media organizations, including CNN, for disputing this claim.
This year’s conflict has seen the United States and Israel again attack Iran’s nuclear facilities, and President Trump made a new claim to countering the Iranian threat, telling reporters on Friday, “If we hadn’t attacked Iran, we wouldn’t have Israel today.”
But the State Department’s actions and independent assessments suggest that concerns remain about Iran’s plans, which Tehran has always insisted are peaceful.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported last year that Iran was enriching uranium to 60% purity, which is “technically a short step from the 90% required for a nuclear weapon,” according to a statement from RFJ.
“Iran is the only non-nuclear state to produce such highly enriched uranium. Experts estimate that this amount, if further enriched, could be enough for several nuclear weapons.”
It also cited the “loss of continuity of Iranian knowledge regarding the production and inventory of key components such as centrifuges” due to the Iranian regime’s non-compliance with the IAEA.
Preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons has been stated as an important goal of the US government’s war against Iran. This week, President Donald Trump reiterated that the United States “may have to go after” Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain. Pickaxe Mountain is the site of a suspected underground nuclear facility where Israel believes Iran stores part of its enriched uranium stockpile and advanced enrichment centrifuges.
In response, Iran warned that any US attack on Iranian nuclear facilities would be treated as an escalation of war in the region. The Iranian government claims it has the right to develop nuclear power for peaceful purposes, including enrichment.
RFJ has also offered bounties for information on Iranian regime officials since the war began in February.
Mediators continue to try to broker an agreement between Iran and the United States, but both sides appear reluctant to change key red lines, as Tehran views its uranium enrichment capacity as a matter of national sovereignty.
President Trump overnight ordered a new attack on Iran, describing it as “minor.”
Reuters reported on Saturday, citing Iranian media, that explosions were heard on Iran’s Qeshm Island and the port of Jask in southern Iran.
According to Reuters, Iran has not officially confirmed the source of the reported explosion.
Earlier on Saturday, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency announced that two missiles had landed on Qeshm Island, but there was no official information on potential damage. But later that night, Tasnim cited Iranian sources as saying the explosions heard on the island were not related to the missile attack.
In a separate development, CENTCOM has launched a task force aimed at blocking Iran’s access to land routes that could facilitate the transfer of advanced weapons and other supplies.
A naval blockade is already in place as part of US efforts to block Iran’s vital oil industry.
