Behind the fragile peace push between Iran and the United States, a far more explosive conversation is unfolding inside Tehran. Iranian lawmakers are now discussing a bill that would place a $58 million bounty on Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu.
According to Iranian officials quoted by state media, lawmakers are preparing to vote on legislation that would award $58 million to anyone responsible for killing the US President, the Israeli Prime Minister or senior American military commander, Admiral Brad Cooper.
Ebrahim Azizi, chairman of Iran’s National Security Commission, said the bill is being prepared under the title “Reciprocal action by military and security forces of the Islamic Republic”.
“We believe the vile president of the United States, the ominous and disgraceful Zionist prime minister, and the CENTCOM commander must be targeted and subjected to reciprocal action,” Azizi said on Iranian state television. He linked the proposal directly to the killing of Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during the February strikes on Iran.
“This is our right. Just as our Imam was martyred, the president of the US must be dealt with by any Muslim or free person,” he said as quoted by The Jerusalem Post. The proposal also comes amid fears inside Tehran over a planned attack against Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei.
Mahmoud Nabavian, an Iranian MP and cleric, confirmed parliament would soon discuss rewards for anyone who “sends Trump and Netanyahu to hell”.
Meanwhile, Iranian officials warned that any future attacks on the country or its leadership would trigger a “devastating” response.
Over recent months, groups linked to Iran have already attempted to raise millions of dollars as rewards for attacks against Trump. One campaign known as “Blood Covenant” reportedly collected large sums after the bombing of Iranian nuclear sites earlier this year, as per The Post.
The threats are emerging, ironically, amid fresh attempts to negotiate a peace deal.
Iran has handed a revised 14-point peace proposal to the US through Pakistani mediation channels. Tehran’s latest demands include lifting sanctions, release of frozen Iranian assets, removal of the US naval blockade and recognition of Iranian control over the Strait of Hormuz. Iran also wants compensation for war damage caused during the conflict with the US and Israel.
The Trump administration, however, were not convinced by the latest offer. One senior US official told Axios that the proposal did not represent any meaningful shift from Iran’s earlier position.
“We are really not making a lot of progress,” the official said. “If that’s not gonna happen, we will have a conversation through bombs, which will be a shame.”
The US President said that the US still stands dangerously close to another military confrontation with Iran. Speaking at the White House, Trump said he had nearly approved a new attack before deciding to pause and give diplomacy more time after Tehran submitted another proposal aimed at ending the US-Israeli conflict.
“I was an hour away from making the decision to go today,” Trump said on Tuesday.
Even while speaking about negotiations, Trump made clear that the possibility of another US strike remains very real. “Well, I mean, I’m saying two or three days, maybe Friday, Saturday, Sunday, something, maybe early next week, a limited period of time, because we can’t let them have a new nuclear weapon,” he said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had also said that military options remain on the table.
Across the Middle East, Gulf states are worried that the ceasefire could collapse at any moment. Trump warned Iran there would be “nothing left” of the country if negotiations failed.
Source: India Today
