US Offers $20 Million Reward for Tips on Iran’s Nuclear Programme
The United States is offering a reward of up to $20 million for information about Iran’s nuclear programme, with possible relocation for anyone whose tip proves useful. The offer was announced on Friday, 6 November by US Central Command (CENTCOM), which said the State Department’s Rewards for Justice programme was seeking details on Tehran’s nuclear activities.
The announcement adds an intelligence-gathering track to Washington’s campaign of military and economic pressure on Iran, and it landed on the same day President Donald Trump confirmed fresh limited US strikes on the country.
What the reward covers
According to the Rewards for Justice programme, the reward covers information about Iran’s nuclear programme “including its facilities, equipment, and associated personnel, such as those in the scientific community, or the movement of any of the above”.
That wording is deliberately broad. It seeks not only the locations of sites and the hardware inside them, but also the people who run them and any movement of nuclear material, equipment or scientists. The programme also offers possible relocation for informants, a provision aimed at people inside Iran or elsewhere who might face danger for passing on information.
The announcement did not say what kind of information would qualify for the full $20 million, or how individual tips would be assessed. The Rewards for Justice page for the offer carries no date and does not say how long it stays open.
A programme with a long history
Rewards for Justice is not new. It was established in 1984 under the Act to Combat International Terrorism and is administered by the State Department’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security. It pays for information that helps protect American lives and interests, and its remit covers terrorism, foreign interference in US elections, foreign-directed cyber attacks on the United States and the money networks behind North Korea’s regime.
The Iran nuclear reward is one of the largest the programme has advertised. Its tip lines operate through encrypted channels to safeguard the identities of people who come forward.
The nuclear backdrop
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN nuclear watchdog, reported in 2025 that Iran was enriching uranium to 60 per cent purity, a level far above what is normally needed for civilian power generation and described as a short technical step from the 90 per cent generally required for a weapon.
The agency has also said it has lost “continuity of knowledge” over the production and inventory of critical elements of the programme, after Tehran’s non-compliance with its safeguards obligations. Rewards for Justice says experts believe further enrichment of Iran’s accumulated material could yield enough uranium for several nuclear weapons. The programme’s own material stresses that the reward, by itself, does not establish the current condition of Iran’s nuclear facilities or confirm that Tehran is developing a nuclear weapon.
Reporting on the announcement named the Pickaxe Mountain tunnel complex near the Natanz nuclear facility as a key site of interest to US officials.
Strikes and sanctions on the same day
The reward was announced on the same day President Donald Trump confirmed that US forces had carried out limited strikes on Qeshm Island, destroying an Iranian-made air defence system. Trump also said Tehran was keen to negotiate an end to the conflict.
US authorities also said on Friday that they had imposed financial sanctions on eight Canada-based money services firms that they allege facilitated transactions with sanctioned Iranian entities, adding a financial track to the same day’s announcements.
The developments follow months of confrontation in the Gulf, including Tehran’s unverified claim this week that mines had destroyed four tankers near the Strait of Hormuz.
What happens next
It is not yet clear how many tips the reward will attract, or whether any will produce information Washington does not already hold. The programme has given no timetable, and no deadline has been published.
What is clear is the direction of US policy: military strikes, financial sanctions and now a public bounty are being used together, while Trump says Tehran wants a deal. Whether the reward produces a breakthrough, or simply adds another layer of pressure, will only become apparent in the weeks ahead.
