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The United States has announced a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the identification of senior Iranian military and intelligence officials, including Iran’s newly appointed Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei.
The reward specifically targets 10 individuals linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), according to the State Department’s website. Established after Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, the IRGC is loyal to the supreme leader and is responsible for safeguarding the clerical regime.
Mojtaba Khamenei recently took over as Iran’s supreme leader following the death of his father, Ali Khamenei, who was killed along with several other top officials in joint U.S. and Israeli strikes that began on February 28. It is believed that Mojtaba was injured in these strikes and has not been seen in public ever since, though he issued his first statement on Thursday.
In addition to Mojtaba Khamenei, the U.S. is seeking information about Iran’s security chief Ali Larijani, Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib, Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni, and two officials from Khamenei’s office.
Larijani was seen in videos verified by Reuters on Friday attending a rally in Tehran alongside President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, contradicting assertions by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that Iran’s leadership was hiding underground out of fear.
The reward program also lists four other officials, including the IRGC commander and secretary of the defense council, though their names and photos have not been disclosed.
“These individuals command and direct various elements of the IRGC, which plans, organizes, and carries out terrorism worldwide,” stated the State Department.
The IRGC was designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the United States, which accuses it of responsible attacks that have resulted in American casualties. Washington has also alleged that Iran orchestrated assassination plots against former President Donald Trump and other U.S. officials in retaliation for the killing of Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani in 2020.
Iran denies supporting terrorism and dismisses U.S. allegations as politically motivated attempts to justify sanctions and pressure campaigns.
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