Geopolitical Alert: U.S. Places $10 Million Bounty on Iran’s New Supreme Leader and IRGC Inner Circle

A Direct Challenge to the Succession

In an unprecedented escalation of the two-week-old conflict, the United States Department of State has issued a $10 million reward for information leading to the identification, location, or disruption of Iran’s newly appointed Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei. The announcement, made through the Rewards for Justice program on Friday, March 13, 2026, marks the first time a sitting Iranian head of state has been so directly targeted by a U.S. bounty.

The move follows the controversial elevation of the 56-year-old cleric, who assumed power just days ago after his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in a joint U.S.-Israeli strike on February 28. President Donald Trump has already publicly labeled the younger Khamenei’s succession as "unacceptable," branding the new leader a key architect of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) global operations.

The Targeted "Terrorist" List

The State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service released a comprehensive digital banner listing the figures it deems responsible for planning and executing international terrorism. The U.S. government maintains that these individuals command various branches of the IRGC, which is now the primary combatant force in the regional war.

Key Figures Named in the Reward Offer:

  • Mojtaba Khamenei: Iran’s Supreme Leader and longtime IRGC liaison.

  • Ali Asghar Hejazi: Deputy Chief of Staff for the Office of the Supreme Leader.

  • Ali Larijani: Senior Security Official and former Parliament Speaker.

  • Yahya Rahim Safavi: Military Advisor to the Supreme Leader.

  • Eskandar Momeni: Interior Minister.

  • Esmail Khatib: Minister of Intelligence and Security.

Incentives for Defection and Intelligence

The Rewards for Justice program is not merely offering cash; the U.S. has sweetened the deal by offering relocation services and protection for individuals who provide actionable intelligence. Tipsters are being urged to communicate via encrypted channels, including Signal and the Tor network, to bypass Iranian surveillance.

The U.S. rationale is clear: the IRGC is no longer viewed as a standard military force but as a "foreign terrorist organization" that has seized total control of the Iranian state and its nuclear uranium stockpiles. By targeting the leadership directly, Washington aims to spark internal dissent and weaken the resolve of the IRGC’s command structure.

Analysis: A War of Attrition Becomes Personal

This bounty signals that the Trump administration has abandoned the prospect of diplomatic engagement with the current Iranian regime. By placing a price on Mojtaba Khamenei, the U.S. is essentially advocating for regime change from within. For global oil markets already trading above $100 a barrel, this move suggests that the "Stranglehold on the Strait" will likely intensify as Tehran views this as a direct threat to the survival of the 1979 Islamic Revolution’s legacy.

"These individuals command and direct various elements of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which plans, organizes and executes terrorism around the world. Your information could make you eligible for relocation and a reward." — U.S. State Department Statement