The U.S. Department of State's Rewards for Justice (RFJ) program, which is administered by the Diplomatic Security Service, is offering a reward of up to $20 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Shahram Poursafi, also known as Shahram Pursafi, Mehdi Rezayi, and Shahin Pourbakhsh.
Poursafi is a uniformed member of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) who is believed to be working on behalf of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC- QF) to arrange the transnational murder-for-hire of former U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton.
From October 2021 to April 2022, Iran-based Poursafi attempted to hire criminal elements within the United States to murder Mr. Bolton in Washington, D.C., or Maryland in exchange for $300,000. Poursafi allegedly provided material support and resources to facilitate the attempted killing. Poursafi told the potential assassin - who actually became a confidential source for U.S. investigators - that once he completed the Bolton murder he would have a second assassination job for him.
On August 5, 2022, the U.S. Department of Justice unsealed a criminal complaint against Poursafi for his role in the alleged plot. If convicted, Poursafi faces up to 10 years imprisonment and a fine up to $250,000 for the use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire, and up to 15 years imprisonment and a fine up to $250,000 for providing and attempting to provide material support to a transnational murder plot. Poursafi remains at large abroad.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury designated Poursafi as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order 13224, as amended, on June 1, 2023, noting his involvement in the plot. The designation means that any of Poursafi property and interests in property subject to U.S. jurisdiction are blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in any transactions with him.
The IRGC has been designated by the Secretary of State as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
