US offers $15m reward for IRGC finance data as Iran shifts to pre-emptive strikes

The US State Department has launched a $15 million reward offer for information targeting the financial networks of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force (IRGC-ASF). The announcement, made on Wednesday, 30 September, through the Rewards for Justice program, specifically names three senior officials: Brig. Gen. Abdollah Mehrabi, Ahmed Ja’farabadi, and Ali Asghar Norouzi. US targets IRGC leadership and procurement According to the State Department, the reward applies to data that disrupts the IRGC-ASF’s ability to develop missiles and drones. Officials identified Mehrabi as the head of the force’s Research and Self-Sufficiency Jihad Organisation, while Ja’farabadi and Norouzi are linked to logistics and the IRGC Cooperative Foundation. In a parallel move on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department sanctioned 10 individuals and entities across Iran, Hong Kong, and Pakistan for allegedly procuring military components for Tehran. Iran shifts to pre-emptive military doctrine In response to heightening regional tensions, Iranian Army spokesperson Brig. Gen. Mohammad Akrami-Nia announced a shift toward "pre-emptive defence." Speaking via ISNA, Akrami-Nia stated that Tehran would no longer wait to absorb strikes but would act to eliminate threats before they materialise. This doctrinal change coincides with threats from IRGC spokesperson Hossein Mohebbi to deploy "new weapons" in any future confrontation. Energy corridors and maritime security The ongoing closure of…