Washington has announced a $10 million reward for intelligence on Iran’s new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei as regional tensions intensify following US-Israeli strikes and Iran’s retaliatory attacks.
Mojtaba Khamenei, widely seen as an influential figure within Iran’s clerical establishment, has drawn global attention following reports that he has been chosen as the country’s new Supreme Leader. | Photo source: X/@Xfiles1111
The United States has announced a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, placing him among several senior Iranian officials now listed under a US intelligence reward programme.
The announcement comes as tensions in the Middle East continue to rise following coordinated strikes by the United States and Israel on Iranian military sites, and Iran’s retaliatory missile and drone attacks across the region that began on February 28.
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According to the US State Department, the reward is being offered through its “Rewards for Justice” programme, which provides financial incentives for information that helps identify or bring to justice individuals accused of involvement in terrorism targeting the United States.
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Apart from Mojtaba Khamenei, the updated list also includes Iran’s interior minister as well as the minister of intelligence and security, the department said.
In a message posted on social media, the Rewards for Justice programme appealed for public tips, stating: “Got information on these Iranian terrorist leaders? Send us a tip. It could make you eligible for a reward and relocation.”
The announcement also comes amid increasingly sharp rhetoric from US President Donald Trump, who suggested that Iran’s leadership is under mounting pressure.
According to Axios, which cited officials from the Group of Seven (G7), Trump made the remarks during a virtual meeting with world leaders earlier this week while discussing the results of the military operation named “Epic Fury.”
During the discussions, the US President reportedly told allies that he had “got rid of a cancer that was threatening us all.”
As the conflict moves into its second week, missile and drone exchanges between Iran and its adversaries have continued across parts of the Middle East.
Trump also delivered a harsh attack on Tehran’s leadership, describing them as “deranged scumbags.”
He further said it was his “great honour” to eliminate them, and insisted that Washington’s military operations were aimed at “destroying the terrorist regime of Iran.”
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