US Targeting Iran's 'Inner Circle' With $10 Million Bounty On Top Officials: Sources

Last Updated:March 14, 2026, 07:36 IST

The US bounty, made through the “Rewards for Justice" programme on March 13, targets Iran's most powerful figures, including Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.

The US State Department has placed a massive $10 million bounty on key Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, that is aimed at the “inner circle" of Tehran’s power structure, top intelligence sources told CNN-News18.

The announcement, made through the “Rewards for Justice" programme on March 13, targets ten of the most powerful figures within the Iranian regime, including Khamenei, Ali Asghar Hejazi, Yahya Rahim Safavi, Ali Larijani, Esmail Khatib, and Eskandar Momeni.

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The US said these officials collectively direct the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). These top officials are allegedly involved in criminal operations, including bombings, assassinations, kidnappings, rocket attacks, drone strikes, and supplying advanced weapons.

According to sources, the reward is aimed at individuals within the inner circle of Iran’s power structure and reflects the view in the United States that Iran’s proxy warfare and militant operations are directed through the institutional network of the Supreme Leader.

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Proxy Warfare

Sources told CNN-News18 that the reward focuses on the strategic security system that oversees the IRGC and are involved in planning, funding and direction of overseas operations.

Under their authority, the IRGC funds and arms proxy militias like Hezbollah and Hamas to attack US allies. With the bounty, the US has made it clear that the real operational control of Iran’s regional activities is within the leadership network surrounding the Supreme Leader’s office, as per sources.

The reward appears to target Iran’s decision-making ecosystem rather than only battlefield commanders. Many of the individuals listed are political, intelligence, or advisory figures, sources said.

The “Rewards for Justice" programme offers cash for intelligence leading to the capture or prosecution of wanted individuals. The US State Department has advised tipsters to send information via Tor or Signal, adding that “your information could make you eligible for relocation and a reward."

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