United States announces US$20 million bounty for Iran nuclear intelligence

The United States has established a financial incentive programme aimed at gathering intelligence on Iran's nuclear programme, with rewards of up to US$20 million available to individuals providing relevant information.

The State Department initiated the programme but has not outlined explicit criteria determining what category of information would qualify for the monetary reward. Officials have maintained that submissions would be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, leaving the scope of acceptable intelligence deliberately broad.

The reward initiative represents part of broader U.S. efforts to monitor and constrain Iran's nuclear development. The move comes amid ongoing international scrutiny of Tehran's nuclear activities and repeated assertions by Iranian officials that their programme remains peaceful in nature.

The programme follows years of diplomatic tension between Washington and Tehran over nuclear matters, including the United States' 2018 withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the multilateral agreement aimed at restricting Iran's nuclear capabilities. The reward announcement underscores continued American interest in obtaining detailed information about Iranian nuclear operations and related activities.