The United States on Friday offered up to $10 million for information on Mohammad al-Kawtharani, a senior military commander of Hezbollah in Iraq who was an associate of slain Iranian General Qassem Soleimani.
The US State Department said Kawtharani had "taken over some of the political coordination of Iran-aligned paramilitary groups" formerly organized by Soleimani, Iran’s Quds Force commander who was killed in a US drone strike in Baghdad in January.
"In this capacity, he facilitates the actions of groups operating outside the control of the Government of Iraq that have violently suppressed protests, attacked foreign diplomatic missions, and engaged in wide-spread organized criminal activity," it said in announcing the reward.
The State Department said it was offering the sum for information on Kawtharani's activities, networks and associates as part of an effort to disrupt the "financial mechanisms" of the Lebanese-based Hezbollah.
Kawtharani was branded a global terrorist by the United States in 2013, accused of funding armed groups in Iraq and helping transport Iraqi fighters to Syria to join President Bashar al-Assad's effort to put down a revolt against his rule.
Reuters reported in February that according to several sources, Kawtharani for now was seen as the most suitable figure to direct Iraqi militias until a permanent Iranian successor could be chosen, although he did not have Soleimani's clout.
