The United States government has announced a bounty of up to $10 million for information about Mojtaba Khamenei and several other senior Iranian officials, a move that underscores rising tensions between Washington and Tehran amid an escalating regional conflict.
According to the U.S. State Department, the bounty targets 10 high-ranking Iranian military and intelligence figures believed to be closely linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The IRGC, a powerful branch of Iran’s armed forces, has been designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the United States since 2019, with Washington accusing it of playing a central role in organizing and supporting militant activities across the Middle East.
The reward was issued through the U.S. government’s Rewards for Justice Program, an initiative run by the State Department that offers financial incentives for information leading to the identification, location, or disruption of individuals linked to terrorism.
The program has been used for decades to track high-value targets around the world.
Targeting Iran’s Top Leadership
At the center of the reward notice is Mojtaba Khamenei, who recently assumed Iran’s highest leadership position after the death of his father, Ali Khamenei.
The elder Khamenei reportedly died following joint U.S.–Israeli airstrikes on February 28 during the intensifying military confrontation involving Iran and its regional rivals.
U.S. officials say the reward aims to obtain information about individuals who help direct or support operations linked to the IRGC.
In addition to Khamenei, other figures named include senior Iranian security officials such as Ali Larijani, intelligence minister Esmail Khatib, and interior minister Eskandar Momeni, among others connected to Iran’s security establishment.
Washington says individuals who provide credible information about these officials or their networks could receive a financial reward and potentially relocation assistance to the United States.
Escalating Geopolitical Tensions
The announcement comes as hostilities between Iran and its adversaries have sharply intensified in recent weeks.
Military exchanges and airstrikes across the region have increased fears of a broader Middle East conflict, with oil markets, shipping routes, and diplomatic relations all affected by the unfolding crisis.
U.S. officials argue that the IRGC has long served as a major instrument of Iranian foreign policy and has been involved in supporting militant groups and attacks against American interests.
Tehran, however, strongly denies these allegations, accusing Washington of using terrorism accusations as a political tool to justify sanctions and pressure on the Islamic Republic.
Iran Rejects The Accusations
Iranian authorities have rejected the U.S. reward offer, describing it as another attempt to undermine the country’s leadership and sovereignty.
Officials in Tehran insist that the IRGC is a legitimate military institution responsible for protecting the country and maintaining regional security.
Despite the escalating rhetoric, analysts say the bounty reflects Washington’s growing reliance on intelligence-driven strategies to track key figures within Iran’s security establishment, particularly as the wider conflict continues to evolve.
The move also signals that the United States is intensifying efforts to gather information on Iran’s leadership networks at a time when tensions across the Middle East remain dangerously high.
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