The US State Department's Rewards for Justice programme has offered bounties of up to $10 million each for information on five senior commanders of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, accusing them of directing armed attacks on American personnel and cyber operations against US critical infrastructure.

The five named individuals are Ahmad Vahidi, commander of the IRGC; Ali Abdollahi, chief of the Khatam al-Anbia Central Headquarters; Sa'id Aghajani, commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force's UAV unit; Hamidreza Lashgarian, chief of the IRGC's Cyber Electronic Command; and Majid Khademi, commander of the IRGC's Intelligence Office.

These individuals lead IRGC units that have targeted U.S. personnel with armed attacks and U.S. critical infrastructure with malicious cyber operations.— Rewards for Justice (@RFJ_USA) August 24, 2026 Help us disrupt these threats. Submit a tip today.

https://t.co/LIA7B3NRK7 pic.twitter.com/IPxZ0skF40 Rewards for Justice, run by the department's Diplomatic Security Service, said the men command and direct elements of the IRGC that "plan, organise and execute terrorism around the world." Tips can be submitted through a Tor-based tipline or via Signal, with informants potentially eligible for relocation alongside the cash reward.

The bounty announcement was posted on Monday, coinciding with the US Treasury's unveiling of "Operation Economic Outcast," a sweeping new sanctions campaign targeting Iran's financial networks. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, announcing the sanctions push, said Washington was severing the economic lifelines that sustain the Iranian government and the IRGC, warning countries and entities that continued facilitation of Iran's sanctions evasion risked being cut off from the US financial system.

ALSO READ: 'Fully Prepared For Sanctions': Iran Vows Heavy Blows To US Vital Interests, Energy Chokepoints The Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control separately sanctioned nearly 60 individuals, entities and vessels linked to Iran's illicit nuclear and missile procurement, cyber operations and oil-revenue networks, alongside new sectoral designations covering digital assets, technology, gold, aviation and shipping.

The coordinated actions come amid a prolonged standoff between Washington and Tehran, with the IRGC accused of orchestrating attacks on US interests and shipping in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. US officials have repeatedly linked the Corps, including its Quds Force, to plots against American personnel abroad, and the reward offer reflects Washington's continuing effort to squeeze the organisation's command structure alongside the broader financial sanctions drive.

ALSO READ: US Launches Economic Onslaught Against Iran, Warns Money-Laundering Enablers Face Dollar System Removal Essential Business Intelligence, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice, Daily Fuel, Gold and Silver Prices and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Monday that Washington is not ruling out further military strikes on Iran, even as the Trump administration intensifies economic pressure on Tehran. Asked whether kinetic strikes were currently on pause, Hegseth said: “No.

If we need to use kinetic strikes, we'll use them.” “If Iran is foolish enough to overplay their hand or mess with the American military, we'll do what we need to do,” he told reporters after a speech to defense industrial workers in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where he urged US defense contractors to "pivot to a wartime footing.

" Hegseth said economic pressure was currently hurting Iran the most but added that the US was “by no means” ruling out strikes “anywhere in the Strait of Hormuz or around Iran.” He also claimed the US maintains control of the Strait of Hormuz, saying Washington’s blockade was “ironclad” and that Iran was unable to move oil through the waterway, while the US could protect shipping.

Hegseth said the administration expected Congress to provide the full $1.5 trillion sought for defense, even if approval came during a lame-duck session after November midterm elections but before the newly elected Congress takes office in January. Asked whether munitions purchases could be cut if the full amount was not approved, he called them “pretty sacred,” saying the Pentagon had entered long-term agreements aimed at increasing supplies of some priority munitions two-, three- or fourfold.

Hegseth also declined to discuss reports that US stocks of ATACMS long-range missiles had been significantly depleted in ongoing conflicts, saying the military had “plenty” available. - USS Abraham Lincoln heading home Hegseth also confirmed that the USS Abraham Lincoln is returning home after an extended deployment.

“To the sailors and families of the Lincoln, I say godspeed on a historic mission. Congratulations, you're on your way home,” he said, describing the deployment as “tough” and longer than most. The Lincoln has spent more than eight months without making a port call, setting a US Navy record.

Families of sailors have reported worsening conditions and morale aboard the carrier, though Hegseth has said such claims have been “completely misrepresented.

Listen to this article in summarized format Wisconsin: US War Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday (local time) said the United States is prepared to use military force against Iran, including in the Strait of Hormuz, saying Washington is "by no means" ruling out kinetic strikes as it continues to exert economic pressure on Tehran.

Asked whether kinetic strikes are currently on pause, Hegseth said, "No. If we need to use kinetic strikes, we'll use them. If Iran is foolish enough to overplay their hand or mess with the American military, we'll do what we need to do. But economic pressure, we know, hurts them the most right now.

And by no means are we foreclosing using kinetic strikes anywhere in the Strait of Hormuz or around Iran." Also read: Bessent's D-Day sanctions are more Anzio, but Iran response is key Hegseth made the remarks on the sidelines of his visit to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where he travelled north to meet with defence industry workers he referred to as part of the "Arsenal of Freedom.

" Hegseth said he was due to meet Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and that the administration was coordinating with him on economic pressure against Iran. "I'm going to see the Treasury Secretary today. We've been in full coordination with him on the Economic Fury and all the pressure that he can bring to bear, and we know that Iran can't handle it," Hegseth said.

"Ultimately, their economy is in a spiral. They also know that we control the Strait of Hormuz, that our blockade is ironclad, and that oil is flowing through it. And you've seen some of the numbers. Iran can't run anything through; we can. The world economy realises that, and so they made a big bet on controlling it, and they can't," he said.

Hegseth also pointed to the impact of US military action on Iran's naval and missile capabilities. "The devastating things our military did to their navy and their ability to sense and see, and radars and missiles. They still have some capabilities, but it's nowhere near what it was at all.

And so we could protect the shipping going through the straits, allowing oil to flow," he said. Hegseth said continued economic pressure could push Iran toward negotiations over its nuclear programme. "More economic pressure only ensures that Iran really has no choice but to come to the table and actually talk about their nuclear program, which is what the president has demanded," he said.

Separately, Iranian government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerresponded to the new US sanctions in a post on X, saying Iran's government and President would guide the country through the "phase." "The government and the president, with wisdom and resolve, will guide the country through this phase as well.

We do not deny the economic hardships; but with sound judgment and by preserving unity, as in days past, we will pass through this intense gauntlet," Mohajerani said. Meanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Monday (local time) announced the launch of "Operation Economic Outcast", saying the campaign aims to sever Iran's financial connections around the world and cut off revenue sources supporting the Iranian regime.

While addressing a press conference, Bessent said, "The US Department of the Treasury has launched Operation Economic Outcast, an unprecedented campaign against the Islamic Republic of Iran and its neighbours." Also read: Iran vows to retaliate after US widens sanctions "During World War II, D-Day marked the historic beginning of a joint campaign with our allies to target and drive the enemy from its positions, including those in third countries.

Today, in that same spirit, we are launching an economic onslaught against Iran's financial connections around the globe. Our goal is to sever every economic lifeline that sustains this tyrannical regime," Bessent said. Bessent said Iran now faces a choice between global isolation and a return to the international economy.

"Iran now faces a clear choice, with only two paths before them: complete global isolation and a subsistence economy, or a path to normalcy with the opportunity to rejoin the global economy. Today we are launching Operation Economic Outcast to foreclose all other options available to the Iranian regime," Bessent added.

(You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel) Asked whether kinetic strikes are currently on pause, Hegseth said, "No. If we need to use kinetic strikes, we'll use them. If Iran is foolish enough to overplay their hand or mess with the American military, we'll do what we need to do.

But economic pressure, we know, hurts them the most right now. And by no means are we foreclosing using kinetic strikes anywhere in the Strait of Hormuz or around Iran." Also read: Bessent's D-Day sanctions are more Anzio, but Iran response is key Hegseth made the remarks on the sidelines of his visit to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where he travelled north to meet with defence industry workers he referred to as part of the "Arsenal of Freedom.

" Hegseth said he was due to meet Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and that the administration was coordinating with him on economic pressure against Iran. "I'm going to see the Treasury Secretary today. We've been in full coordination with him on the Economic Fury and all the pressure that he can bring to bear, and we know that Iran can't handle it," Hegseth said.

"Ultimately, their economy is in a spiral. They also know that we control the Strait of Hormuz, that our blockade is ironclad, and that oil is flowing through it. And you've seen some of the numbers. Iran can't run anything through; we can. The world economy realises that, and so they made a big bet on controlling it, and they can't," he said.

Hegseth also pointed to the impact of US military action on Iran's naval and missile capabilities. "The devastating things our military did to their navy and their ability to sense and see, and radars and missiles. They still have some capabilities, but it's nowhere near what it was at all.

And so we could protect the shipping going through the straits, allowing oil to flow," he said. Hegseth said continued economic pressure could push Iran toward negotiations over its nuclear programme. "More economic pressure only ensures that Iran really has no choice but to come to the table and actually talk about their nuclear program, which is what the president has demanded," he said.

Separately, Iranian government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerresponded to the new US sanctions in a post on X, saying Iran's government and President would guide the country through the "phase." "The government and the president, with wisdom and resolve, will guide the country through this phase as well.

We do not deny the economic hardships; but with sound judgment and by preserving unity, as in days past, we will pass through this intense gauntlet," Mohajerani said. Meanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Monday (local time) announced the launch of "Operation Economic Outcast", saying the campaign aims to sever Iran's financial connections around the world and cut off revenue sources supporting the Iranian regime.

While addressing a press conference, Bessent said, "The US Department of the Treasury has launched Operation Economic Outcast, an unprecedented campaign against the Islamic Republic of Iran and its neighbours." Also read: Iran vows to retaliate after US widens sanctions "During World War II, D-Day marked the historic beginning of a joint campaign with our allies to target and drive the enemy from its positions, including those in third countries.

Today, in that same spirit, we are launching an economic onslaught against Iran's financial connections around the globe. Our goal is to sever every economic lifeline that sustains this tyrannical regime," Bessent said. Bessent said Iran now faces a choice between global isolation and a return to the international economy.

"Iran now faces a clear choice, with only two paths before them: complete global isolation and a subsistence economy, or a path to normalcy with the opportunity to rejoin the global economy. Today we are launching Operation Economic Outcast to foreclose all other options available to the Iranian regime," Bessent added.

A cyber attack shut down a small British power plant for four days in July. Hackers affiliated with the Iranian regime were responsible, according to the Telegraph. Tony Diver, Rozina Sabur and Matt Oliver broke the story on Saturday. It is thought to be the first time hackers linked to Tehran have closed such a facility in the UK, they wrote.

They described it as the most successful attack of its kind. What the government has confirmed A British government spokesperson confirmed the incident to The Register on Monday. “This story refers to an incident impacting a small-scale energy generator, and at no point was there a risk to the wider energy system,” the spokesperson said.

“The UK has a highly resilient energy system. We work closely with the energy sector to protect infrastructure and ensure the highest security standards.” Michael Shanks, the UK energy minister, posted about the attack on X. His department briefed energy chief executives afterwards, he said, and shared advice on the steps companies should take.

The UK has not blamed anyone The government has not formally attributed the attack. That applies to Iran and to any other government or hacking group, The Register reported. Officials declined to identify the power station, citing security concerns.

The National Cyber Security Centre declined to comment. The NCSC sits under GCHQ and handles attacks on critical infrastructure. It does not routinely acknowledge individual incidents. The plant was small This was not an attack on an essential service such as a large power station, Tom Symonds reported for the BBC.

The UK network includes a number of smaller gas generators. They provide short-term power when needed. The Financial Times described the site as a peaker plant. Britain has dozens of them, according to the Telegraph. Many are gas-fired and run for only a few hours a week, for example when wind speeds are low.

A government source told the Telegraph the site sits well below the level at which operators must legally report cyber activity. “It’s a very small-scale site, less than a rounding error compared to grid capacity,” the source said. American water systems were hit at the same time The outage coincided with a series of attacks on US water infrastructure, the Telegraph reported.

Those attacks reached 12 states and caused concern in the White House. Dozens of wastewater treatment plants were affected. The intrusions caused flooding and a loss of pressure from taps. Some authorities told customers to boil water before drinking it.

The first reports emerged in Minnesota on 26 July. Michigan, Georgia, South Dakota and New Jersey followed. The Register put the Minnesota figure at more than 30 facilities, with similar intrusions later reported in at least 11 other states. CNBC reported that the FBI warned about attacks in at least seven states.

CISA, the FBI and the Environmental Protection Agency blamed Iran, CNBC said. How the American attacks worked Most or all of the US utility attacks involved internet-connected programmable logic controllers, The Register reported. Those are the small computers that operate physical equipment such as pumps and valves.

Five federal agencies issued a warning last week. Attackers are now using AI-generated exploitation scripts to break into internet-exposed Siemens S7 controllers, they said, at water, manufacturing and energy sites. “This is not a theoretical risk, it is an active threat,” the agencies said.

“This appears to be a continuation of the same suite of activity we suspect is affiliated with Iran targeting PLCs,” Cynthia Kaiser told The Register. Kaiser is a former FBI cyber analyst, now at the Halcyon Ransomware Research Center. What Britain had been told to expect The intelligence and security committee oversees Britain’s spy agencies.

It reported last year that an Iranian cyber attack on British infrastructure was “unlikely”, according to the Telegraph. The same committee called cyber warfare a “significant area of asymmetric strength” for Iran. Tehran spends tens of millions of dollars on hacking groups, it said, each containing hundreds of people.

A Cabinet Office risk assessment published last month put the chance of a serious and successful attack on domestic infrastructure at 5% to 25%. It also warned that “AI can automate the process of launching cyber attacks, making them faster, more efficient and lower the barrier for entry”.

How often this happens Richard Horne runs the NCSC. He said in June that the agency had dealt with more than 200 attacks on critical national infrastructure in the previous year. Horne has also warned that the NCSC now handles at least four nationally significant attacks a week, Cyber Security News reported.

That number could rise sharply if Britain becomes more entangled in the Iran conflict, he said. The NCSC told British organisations in March to review their security in light of the Middle East conflict. The wider campaign Iran has stepped up attacks on Western countries since the US and Israel began air strikes in February, according to the Telegraph.

Germany, Poland, Finland, Belgium and Albania have all reported suspected Iranian attacks. The US Department of Justice charged 17 Iranians on 18 August, CNBC reported. The department called it a massive cyber theft campaign on behalf of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Israel’s national cyber chief said in June that Iranian attacks on the country had tripled in a year. What hackers have done in Britain before Foreign attacks have brought down NHS systems, schools and manufacturing lines, the Telegraph reported. Jaguar Land Rover was among them.

Hackers have also taken retail customer data and voter records from the Electoral Commission. Russian hackers were behind the Jaguar Land Rover attack, which cost the British economy $2.5bn. No hacker had brought a British power plant to a standstill before, according to the Telegraph.

AI and the attack toolkit The federal warning about AI-written exploit code follows other cases this year. Hackers mass-exploited two WordPress flaws in July after AI found the way in. Greg Brockman said this month that OpenAI had underestimated its own models on cyber capability.

Defence has become its own market. SoftBank and OpenAI launched a patching service for Japanese critical infrastructure in June. What is still unknown Neither the government nor the NCSC has said which plant was affected. Neither has said how the attackers got in.

Nobody has said whether the intrusion connects to the American water incidents. No formal attribution has been made. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero says it is updating its cyber security regulations. A new energy resilience strategy is due later this year, the BBC reported.

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