US offers up to $10M reward for information on Iranian leaders

WASHINGTON

The US State Department on Friday announced a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the identification or location of Iran's key leaders, including Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.

The announcement, released by the department’s Rewards for Justice program, said the targeted individuals “command and direct various elements” of the IRGC, which Washington accuses of planning and carrying out attacks around the world.

Among those listed in the notice are Khamenei, Ali Asghar Hejazi, deputy chief of staff in the office of the supreme leader; and Yahya Rahim Safavi, a senior military adviser to the supreme leader.

Earlier in the day, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that Iran’s newly appointed supreme leader is "wounded" and "likely disfigured" as the US and Israel continue attacking the country.

Tensions across the Middle East have flared up since Israel and the US launched a joint attack on Iran on Feb. 28, killing so far around 1,300 people, including the then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Tehran retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries that are home to US military assets, resulting in casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure and affecting global markets and aviation.