Iran's parliament is reviewing a law offering €50 million for the killing of US President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper. The bill announced this week directly responds to US-led strikes on February 28 that killed former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. It's already stirring speculation about payment mechanisms and escalating tensions.
Religious Duty Framing
Ebrahim Azizi, chair of parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, presented the bill on state television. He called the targeted killings a religious duty for 'Muslims or free persons.' The measure bears the title 'Reciprocal action by military and security forces of the Islamic Republic,' making its retaliatory purpose explicit.
Key Committee Session Looms
The legislation must clear committee review and Guardian Council approval to become law. This week's committee meeting will determine whether it advances. Failure here would kill the proposal before it reaches higher authorities.
Blood Covenant's Previous Effort
The 'Blood Covenant' group raised over $40 million in pledged bounties after US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites last June. That campaign operated with regime tolerance, showing how these initiatives gain official footholds. Some funds remain unclaimed since the failed June 2025 operation.
Crypto Payment Questions
Iran's frequent use of digital assets to bypass sanctions has experts questioning if bounties could flow through crypto channels. Daniel Cohen of the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism dismissed the current bill as 'psyops' for signaling defiance rather than real planning. US officials previously charged an Iranian national in 2024 for a Trump plot and claimed to kill a separate plot's mastermind in March's airstrike.
