The United States is offering up to $10 million for information on senior Iranian military and intelligence officials, including Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei. The reward targets 10 figures linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a military force loyal to the supreme leader and responsible for protecting Iran’s clerical establishment.
Mojtaba Khamenei recently succeeded his father, Ali Khamenei, after the elder Khamenei was killed in joint US-Israeli strikes that began on February 28. Although believed to have been injured in the attacks, Mojtaba released his first public statement recently. Other officials named include Iran’s security chief Ali Larijani, Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib, Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni, and two officials from the supreme leader’s office. Larijani appeared in videos attending a rally in Tehran, countering claims by US officials that Iran’s leadership was in hiding.
The State Department emphasized that these individuals direct various IRGC elements involved in planning and executing terrorist operations worldwide. Additional targets include the IRGC commander and the secretary of the defence council, though their names and photos have not been disclosed.
The IRGC has been designated a foreign terrorist organization by the US, accused of attacks killing American citizens and plotting retaliatory strikes, including against former President Donald Trump. Iran denies these allegations, calling them politically motivated claims used to justify sanctions or pressure campaigns.
