The offer targets 10 officials associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a powerful military force created after the Iranian Revolution and tasked with safeguarding Iran’s clerical political system. The State Department said the individuals command or direct elements of the IRGC that it accuses of planning and executing attacks abroad.

Mojtaba Khamenei assumed Iran’s highest political and religious office after his father, Ali Khamenei, was killed along with several senior Iranian officials in joint U.S. and Israeli strikes that began on Feb. 28.

The younger Khamenei is believed to have been wounded in the attacks and has not appeared publicly since the start of the conflict, though he issued his first statement on Thursday.

In addition to the supreme leader, the reward notice seeks information about Iran’s national security chief Ali Larijani, Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib, Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni and two officials from Khamenei’s office.

Larijani appeared on Friday in video footage verified by Reuters alongside Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi during a rally in Tehran.

The appearance came despite comments by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth suggesting that Iran’s leadership was hiding underground amid ongoing military strikes.

The State Department website also lists four additional officials connected to the IRGC, including the corps’ commander and the secretary of Iran’s defense council, though their names and images were not provided.

Washington has designated the IRGC as a foreign terrorist organization and accuses it of orchestrating attacks that have killed U.S. citizens. U.S. officials have also alleged that Iran planned assassination attempts against U.S. President Donald Trump and other American officials in retaliation for the killing of Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani in 2020.

Iran denies supporting terrorism and has repeatedly rejected U.S. accusations as politically motivated efforts to justify sanctions and pressure campaigns.Officials from the Revolutionary Guards were not immediately available for comment on Friday, Iran’s weekly day of rest.

Iran’s mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Speaking at a Pentagon briefing, Hegseth said the younger Khamenei had issued only a written statement following the attacks and had not appeared publicly in audio or video since an Israeli strike early in the war killed members of his family, including his father, former Iranian leader Ali Khamenei.

“We know the new so-called not-so-supreme leader is wounded and likely disfigured,” Hegseth said. He added that the absence of a public appearance suggested the Iranian leader was injured and in hiding, questioning his legitimacy and ability to govern.Iranian officials have acknowledged that Mojtaba Khamenei was wounded but dispute the severity of the injuries.

Iran’s ambassador to Japan, Peyman Saadat, told Asahi TV that the Iranian leader had suffered injuries during the conflict but remained capable of carrying out his duties. “He is a functioning leader,” Saadat said, adding that his condition had not impaired his ability to govern.

Hegseth and Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said U.S. military operations in Iran have focused on degrading Tehran’s missile and drone capabilities as well as elements of its naval forces.

The briefing came as Washington increased military pressure on Iran following nearly two weeks of strikes carried out by the United States and Israel against Iranian military infrastructure.

Officials said additional U.S. firepower was being sent to the region as the conflict widened across the Middle East.

During the briefing, Hegseth said U.S. forces would continue their campaign without easing pressure on Iran’s military.

“We will keep pressing, keep pushing, keep advancing,” Hegseth said. “No quarter, no mercy for our enemy.

”The phrase “no quarter” refers to refusing to spare an opponent who attempts to surrender, a practice prohibited under the laws of armed conflict.

Reports during the conflict have indicated Iranian drone activity in several countries across the Gulf and Middle East, including Kuwait, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Oman.

The fighting has also affected U.S. forces in the region. Six U.S. service members died in an aircraft crash in Iraq during the conflict, U.S. officials said.

Trump made the remarks while speaking to reporters during a press conference in Doral, Florida, where he was asked about Iran’s leadership transition after the death of the longtime cleric who had led the Islamic Republic for decades.

Trump said the appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei was unlikely to bring meaningful change to Iran’s political direction.

“We think it’s going to lead to just more of the same problem for the country,” Trump said, referring to ongoing tensions between Washington and Tehran.

His comments marked the first public reaction from the U.S. president since Iranian authorities confirmed Mojtaba Khamenei as the successor to his father.

During the exchange with reporters, Trump was asked whether the new Iranian leader might be considered a potential military target amid escalating hostilities in the region.

Trump declined to elaborate, saying it would be “inappropriate” to comment on whether Mojtaba Khamenei had a “target on his back.

”The remarks came as relations between the United States and Iran remain strained amid a widening regional conflict and heightened political tensions surrounding Iran’s leadership change.

In a post on the social media platform X written in Farsi, the Israeli military said it would continue to pursue “every successor” to Khamenei. The message also warned individuals involved in the process of appointing a new supreme leader that they could be targeted.The warning comes as Iran’s clerical body responsible for selecting the Islamic Republic’s supreme leader prepares to convene to determine Khamenei’s successor.Leadership succession under scrutinyIran’s supreme leader is selected by the Assembly of Experts, a clerical body tasked with appointing and overseeing the country’s highest authority.

The leader holds ultimate power over Iran’s military, judiciary and key state institutions.Israel’s statement suggests it is seeking to deter or disrupt the succession process following the reported killing of Khamenei in joint U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets.Regional tensions intensifyThe remarks underscore mounting regional tensions as Iran faces a leadership vacuum and uncertainty over its political future.Israel has repeatedly warned it would act against Iranian leadership and military structures it views as threats to its security.

The dispute has exposed cracks within the Islamic Republic’s leadership following the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei a week ago, a development that has removed a central authority who for decades suppressed factional rivalries within the system.Sources close to Iran’s leadership, speaking from inside the country on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue, told Reuters that tensions among senior officials have intensified as the war escalates and key figures have been killed in U.S. and Israeli strikes.The conflict has placed unprecedented pressure on the country’s governing institutions, with military, political and clerical leaders struggling to coordinate responses while maintaining internal cohesion.Backlash over Pezeshkian remarks.The divisions became more visible after Pezeshkian said Iran would suspend attacks on neighbouring states unless strikes against Iran originated from their territory.The remarks were intended to reduce tensions with Gulf governments following Iranian attacks on facilities linked to U.S. forces in the region. However, they triggered a rapid backlash from hardline factions inside Iran who viewed the statement as a concession at a time of military confrontation.Officials close to the leadership said the controversy highlighted deeper disagreements within the ruling hierarchy over how to conduct the war and manage relations with regional states.While pragmatic figures have signalled an interest in reducing regional escalation, hardliners have argued for a more aggressive response to the U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iranian targets.Revolutionary Guards expand influence

As the conflict intensifies, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards are playing a growing role in shaping military and strategic decisions, according to people familiar with the leadership dynamics.The Guards, one of the most powerful institutions within the Islamic Republic, have moved to assert greater influence despite suffering heavy losses from targeted strikes that killed several senior commanders.The decapitation campaign against Iranian military leaders has added strain to the country’s command structure while reinforcing the Guards’ determination to maintain operational control.Sources said the combination of battlefield pressure and leadership losses has contributed to heightened tensions among the country’s remaining senior officials.Push to name new supreme leaderAmid the uncertainty, Iran’s clerical establishment is accelerating efforts to appoint a new supreme leader to replace Khamenei.According to sources familiar with the process, a decision on the succession could come as early as Sunday, although it remains unclear whether a new leader will command sufficient authority to contain factional disputes.

Mojtaba Khamenei, the late leader’s son, is widely seen as a leading candidate. He is believed to have backing from the Revolutionary Guards and influential figures within his father’s office.However, his potential elevation has faced resistance from moderates within the political establishment. Critics argue that he lacks the seniority of more experienced ayatollahs and remains largely untested in Iran’s complex political hierarchy.The debate over succession underscores the broader challenges confronting Iran’s leadership as it navigates a war that officials describe as an existential threat to the Islamic Republic.