Iran's 'assassination bill' proposes $58 million bounty for killing Donald Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu

As US and Iran are negotiating a lasting peace deal to the hostilities that started three months ago, the West Asian country's lawmakers are discussing a bill that would place a $58 million bounty on President Donald Trump and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

According to Iranian state media, the country's lawmakers are preparing to vote on a legislation that would award anyone who kills Trump, Netanyahu or senior American military commander, Admiral Brad Cooper $58 million.

The bill has reportedly been titled "Reciprocal action by military and security forces of the Islamic Republic".

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Ebrahim Azizi, chairman of Iran's National Security Commission, told Iranian state television that the US president must be targeted. "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," he said.

As per a report by The Jerusalem Post, Azizi said, "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." Iran's former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed during the February strikes on Iran.

Fear of Mojtaba's assassination

The proposal comes at a time when Tehran is on its toes over threats to new Supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei's life.

An Iranian Shia cleric and Member of Parliament Mahmoud Nabavian, claimed there had been threats made against Mojtaba, and warned that Iran's response to such a killing would be "devastating." He also confirmed Azizi's comments on the upcoming vote, The Jerusalem Post reported.

Similar proposal's in past

An Iranian group Blood Covenant had raised $40 million as reward for killing Trump after the June bombing of three nuclear sites in Iran. According to US-based Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) think tank reported that Blood Covenant runs “under the aegis of the Iranian regime.”

Difficulties in negotiations

Speaking to ‌reporters at a White House briefing, Vice President JD Vance acknowledged difficulties in negotiating with a fractured Iranian leadership. "It's not sometimes totally clear what ‌the negotiating position of the team is," he said, so the US is trying to make its own red lines clear.

He also ‌said one objective of Trump's policy is to prevent a nuclear arms race from spreading in the region.

Azizi said on X that Trump's pausing of an attack was due to the realization that any move against Iran would mean "facing a decisive military response."

Iranian state media said Tehran's latest peace proposal involves ending hostilities on all fronts including Lebanon, the exit of US forces from areas close to Iran, and reparations for destruction ⁠caused by the US-Israeli ⁠attacks.

Tehran also sought the lifting of sanctions, release of frozen funds and an end to the US marine blockade, according to Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi as cited by IRNA news agency.

The terms as described in the Iranian reports appeared little changed from Iran's previous offer, which Trump rejected last week as "garbage."

(With Reuters inputs)