US offers $10 million bounty for information on Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, senior officials

The United States has announced a $10 million reward for information about Iran’s new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei and several senior figures in the country’s political and security leadership.

 

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The reward was publicised by the US Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service under its “Rewards for Justice” programme, which posted the announcement on social media platform X through the account @RJF_USA.

In the post, Washington described the targeted figures as “Iranian Terrorist leaders” responsible for “planning, organising, and executing terrorism around the world.”

 

 

 

The message accompanying the notice said:

"Got information on these Iranian terrorist leaders? Send us a tip. It could make you eligible for a reward and relocation."

According to the notice, the individuals listed “command and direct various elements of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which plans, organises, and executes terrorism around the world.”

Along with Mojtaba Khamenei, the announcement named Ali Larjani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Council, among the senior officials for whom information is being sought.

The images shared in the notice also include Ali Asghar Hejazi, Deputy Chief of Staff in the Supreme Leader’s Office; Maj. Gen. Yahya Rahim Safavi, military adviser to the Supreme Leader’s Office; Brig. Gen. Iskander Momeni; and Esmail Khatib, Iran’s Minister of Intelligence and Security.

The post also mentioned several other senior positions — Secretary of the Office Council, Advisor to the Supreme Leader, Military Office Chief, and the IRG commander — but did not include names or photographs for those roles.

The bounty announcement came hours after tens of thousands of Iranians marched across cities in Iran to mark the annual al-Quds Day, which is held in support of the Palestinian cause.

During the demonstrations, protesters chanted “death to Israel” and “death to America.” Around the same time, a purported Israeli strike reportedly hit near one of the demonstrations in Tehran, killing a woman.

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, Ali Larjani, and several other political leaders attended the demonstrations. Speaking at the rally, Larjani alleged that “a fearful” Israel was dropping bombs on Quds Day out of fear.

 

How the conflict began

The latest escalation traces back to February 28, when the United States and Israel carried out coordinated airstrikes on senior Iranian leadership targets in Tehran.

The strikes killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who had ruled the country since 1989, along with several people close to him, including his daughter, grandchild, daughter-in-law and son-in-law.

The attack also claimed the life of Ali Shamkhani, a senior Iranian security official and longtime adviser involved in Iran’s defence and national security strategy.

The killings created a sudden leadership vacuum in Tehran and pushed Iran’s clerical establishment to quickly appoint Mojtaba Khamenei, the slain leader’s son, as the country’s new Supreme Leader, setting the stage for the current confrontation between Iran, Israel and the United States.