WASHINGTON — The US State Department has offered a reward of up to $15 million for information on Abdul Reza Shahla’i, a senior commander in the IRGC-Quds Force.

Shahla’i is based in Yemen, said Brian Hook, the special representative for Iran, who cited his long history of plotting attacks on coalition forces in Iraq and providing explosives to Shiite militias.

Hook said the United States is concerned he may have been involved in providing advanced weapons like the missiles seized by the Navy.

But Hook did not indicate any moves to peel the Houthis out of Iran’s orbit at the Thursday press conference.

“This designation, together with the recent interdiction in Yemen, underscores our commitment to deny Iran the means to run an expansionist foreign policy,” Hook said. “We call on the international community to join us.”

A State Department official said Thursday that 1,000 or more protesters may have been killed during weeks of unrest in Iran and that the United States has received video that shows troops firing machine guns mounted on trucks at protesters in one incident.

Hook said the Trump administration will ask Congress to impose harsh sanctions on officials responsible for the alleged atrocities and mistreatment of thousands of protesters who have been imprisoned since anti-government demonstrations have convulsed Iran. — AFP