Key Points:
The US State Department has offered a reward of up to $10 million for information on Iran’s new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei and several senior Iranian officials.
Since being appointed Iran’s supreme leader following the assassination of Ayatollah Khamenei, Mojtaba Khamenei has not appeared in public.
The United States said that the Rewards for Justice program targets individuals within Iran’s decision-making structure.
As the West Asia conflict completed its second week on 14 March 2026, the fall of the Khamenei regime appeared inevitable following the assassination of former supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei on 28 February 2026. However, Iran appointed the late supreme leader’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, as the country’s next leader. Since Mojtaba Khamenei was announced as the supreme leader, he has neither been seen nor heard in public.
Some media reports claim that Mojtaba Khamenei was heavily injured in the US-Israeli airstrike and is currently in hiding. Amid the chaos, the US State Department has announced a reward of up to $10 million (Rs 92.5 crore) for information on Khamenei, along with other Iranian officials.
On 13 March 2026, the bounty announcement was made through the Rewards for Justice program, which included a list of Iranian figures within the regime. Photographs and silhouettes of Khamenei, Ali Asghar Hejazi, Yahya Rahim Safavi, Ali Larijani, Esmail Khatib, and Eskandar Momeni were posted on X.
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The caption announced rewards in exchange for information on the listed powerful Iranian individuals. The caption read, “Got information on these Iranian terrorist leaders? Send us a tip. It could make you eligible for a reward and relocation.”
Mojtaba Khamenei was announced as Iran’s next supreme leader just a week after the massive US-Israeli airstrike on March 8, 2026. Amid reports of his disappearance, Yousef Pezeshkian, the son of Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, shared an update on Khamenei’s situation on his Telegram channel.
He wrote, “I heard news that Mr. Mojtaba Khamenei had been injured. I asked some friends who had connections.” He added, “They told me that, thank God, he is safe and sound.”
The $10 million reward for information on Khamenei comes after US President Donald Trump gave an update on the war with Iran. During an interview with Fox News Radio, he said, “We’re going to be hitting them very hard over the next week.”
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The United States said that the Rewards for Justice program targets individuals within Iran’s decision-making structure. It also claimed that these top Iranian officials were involved in several criminal operations, including bombings, assassinations, rocket attacks, and other activities.
In a recent development in Iran, Trump stated that American forces had reportedly obliterated military sites on Kharg Island, Iran’s strategic and vital oil export terminal. He described the attack as “one of the most powerful bombing raids” in the history of the Middle East.
He wrote on social media, “Our weapons are the most powerful and sophisticated that the world has ever known but, for reasons of decency, I have chosen NOT to wipe out the oil infrastructure on the island.” Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported that the Iranian military had threatened to strike oil sites linked to the United States if Iran’s energy infrastructure was targeted by the US.
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