The U.S. Department of State’s Rewards for Justice program has offered a reward of up to $10 million for information on Muhammad Kawtharani, a senior commander of Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
Kawtharani is Hezbollah’s most senior official in Iraq. He is known to be responsible for promoting the group’s interests there.
In an official statement, the U.S. accused Kawtharani of undertaking some of the tasks of Iran’s Quds Force Commander Maj. Gen. Qassim Soleimani, who was assassinated earlier this year. Another US claim is that Kawtharani works to support pro-Iranian armed groups in Iraq.
“As a member of Hezbollah’s Political Council, Kawtharani has worked to promote Hezbollah’s interests in Iraq, including Hezbollah efforts to provide training, funding, political, and logistical support to Iraqi Shi’a insurgent groups,” the statement, that was released on April 11, reads.
Kawtharani has citizenships of both Lebanon and Iraq. He is reportedly registered under two names – Mohamad and Jafar – and has three different birth dates; 1945, 1959 and 1962.
REWARD!! $10 Million for information on Muhammad Kawtharani and his nefarious activities in Iraq. If you have information on Kawtharani please contact RFJ or the nearest US embassy. https://t.co/n5RdOO7PjV pic.twitter.com/vvHzzcTuMz
— Rewards for Justice (@RFJ_USA) April 10, 2020
Kawtharani was designated as a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist” by the U.S. Department of the Treasury back in August of 2013.
The U.S. ramped up its sanctions on Hezbollah last year, offering rewards for information on senior commanders of the group and on its financial network. However, these measures have yielded no known results, thus far.
