The United States has announced a 10 million dollar reward, roughly 92 crore rupees, for information that could help locate Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and several senior officials linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as tensions escalate during the ongoing conflict. The offer was issued through the US State Department’s Reward for Justice programme, which provides financial incentives for information that helps identify or locate individuals suspected of involvement in terrorism targeting the United States.

US authorities described the individuals as Iranian terrorists, saying they lead and coordinate different units of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, an organization Washington accuses of planning and carrying out terrorist activities worldwide. The programme also urged anyone with knowledge about these leaders or other IRGC figures to submit tips through a Tor based portal or the encrypted messaging app Signal. Officials said that those providing useful information could qualify for both financial compensation and possible relocation.

Mojtaba Khamenei was recently named Iran’s new Supreme Leader following the death of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in joint US Israeli airstrikes on Tehran on February 28. Mojtaba is considered a low profile cleric who spent much of his career behind the scenes in the Office of the Supreme Leader, often described as a gatekeeper to his father and an influential power broker rather than a public political leader.

Some reports suggested that Mojtaba may have been injured during the strikes that killed his father and could be in a coma. However, US President Donald Trump has stated that he believes the Iranian leader is still alive in some form, even though Mojtaba has not appeared publicly since assuming the position during the conflict.

Among the other officials mentioned is Ali Asghar Hijazi, an Iranian cleric who served as deputy chief of staff to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and previously worked as deputy for foreign affairs in Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence. Yahya Rahim Safavi, a senior Iranian military commander, is currently serving as an adviser to Mojtaba Khamenei. Veteran politician Ali Larijani has also resurfaced as a key figure in Iran’s security establishment. He has handled issues ranging from nuclear negotiations to regional diplomacy and the government’s response to domestic unrest. Larijani has made multiple visits to Moscow, where he met Russian President Vladimir Putin, and he also played a role in advancing talks with China that led to a 25 year cooperation agreement in 2021.

Another figure named is Esmail Khatib, who has served as Iran’s Minister of Intelligence since August 2021. Eskandar Momeni, an Iranian military commander and politician, currently holds the position of Interior Minister. The reward announcement also refers to four additional senior officials including the Secretary of the Defense Council, an adviser to the Supreme Leader, the chief of the military office of the Supreme Leader, and the IRGC commander. However, their names and photographs have not been publicly disclosed.

The conflict began on February 28 when the United States and Israel launched coordinated airstrikes across Iran after nuclear negotiations collapsed and accusations emerged that Tehran had resumed nuclear activities. The operation, called Operation Epic Fury, targeted several Iranian cities including the capital Tehran. According to reports, the strikes killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei along with members of his family.

Iran has since retaliated with missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and US related sites across the region, particularly in Gulf countries such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain, where footage has shown extensive damage. President Trump issued a harsh warning to Iranian leaders, calling them deranged scumbags and promising further action as US forces bombed military sites near Iran’s oil hub on Kharg Island. In a post on Truth Social, Trump claimed that Iran’s naval and air forces had been largely destroyed and that its missile and drone capabilities were being dismantled. He said the United States possessed unmatched military strength and vowed to continue operations against Iranian leadership.