Washington expands pressure on Iran amid Strait of Hormuz tensions and ongoing regional conflict
Washington / Middle East — The United States has announced a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to details about Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and several senior officials linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), as Washington simultaneously moves additional military forces to the Middle East amid escalating regional tensions.
The offer was issued under the US State Department’s Rewards for Justice programme, according to a banner published by the Diplomatic Security Service.
The list includes Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the slain Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as well as several senior figures in Iran’s political and security establishment. Among those named are Ali Asghar Hejazi, former deputy chief of staff to the late Supreme Leader, and Ali Larijani, a prominent Iranian political and security official.
Other individuals mentioned include Yahya Rahim Safavi, a senior military adviser to the Supreme Leader, Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni, and Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib.
The banner also referenced four additional positions without identifying individuals by name: the secretary of Iran’s Supreme Defense Council, the head of the Supreme Leader’s military office, the commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and an adviser to the Supreme Leader.
According to the Rewards for Justice programme, these figures are described as key leaders involved in directing various branches of the IRGC, which Washington accuses of planning and conducting operations worldwide.
The programme said individuals possessing relevant information about these officials or senior IRGC commanders could contact US authorities through encrypted messaging platforms or a secure communication channel on the Tor network. Eligible information could result in a reward of up to $10 million, it added.
US Reinforces Military Presence
The announcement comes as the United States moves to reinforce its military presence in the Middle East following intensified tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy shipping route that has been severely disrupted by Iranian missile and drone activity.
Two US officials told ABC News that a Marine expeditionary unit comprising roughly 2,200 Marines has been ordered to deploy to the region aboard three US Navy amphibious ships.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the Japan-based amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli and the Marines assigned to it are now heading toward the Middle East as part of the reinforcement effort.
Marine expeditionary units are designed for rapid-response missions and typically operate from amphibious assault ships capable of conducting a range of operations, including crisis response, evacuation missions, and combat deployments.
The deployment was approved by US War Secretary Pete Hegseth following a request from US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees American military operations across the Middle East.
Trump Comments on Iran Protests
Meanwhile, former US President Donald Trump commented on the internal situation in Iran during an interview on Fox News Radio’s The Brian Kilmeade Show, claiming Iranian security forces have used lethal force against demonstrators.
“They literally have people in the streets with machine guns, machine-gunning people down if they want to protest,” Trump said, referring to Iran’s security forces.
“That’s a pretty big hurdle to climb for people that don’t have weapons,” he added.
Trump said that while political change inside Iran may eventually occur, it is unlikely to happen quickly under current conditions.
“It’ll happen,” he said, “but it probably will be — maybe not immediately.”
The developments come amid growing regional uncertainty as diplomatic tensions and military activity continue to escalate between Iran, the United States, and their respective allies.
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