Who Are the ‘Shadow Ten’? The Iranian Powerbrokers Named In The US ‘Rewards For Justice’ List

Last Updated:March 14, 2026, 01:01 IST

At the top of the bounty list is Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who was named Iran’s new Supreme Leader on March 8

The US State Department has announced a massive $10 million reward for information leading to the capture or prosecution of Iran’s top leadership. The announcement, made through the “Rewards for Justice" programme on March 13, targets ten of the most powerful figures within the Iranian regime, including the country’s newly appointed Supreme Leader.

The Primary Target: Mojtaba Khamenei

At the top of the bounty list is Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who was named Iran’s new Supreme Leader on March 8. Mojtaba assumed the role following the death of his father, Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a bombing on 28 February during the opening stages of the current war.

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The US designation of Mojtaba comes amid intense speculation regarding his physical condition. Despite issuing a defiant written statement vowing to continue retaliatory actions and maintain pressure on Gulf oil routes, the 56-year-old cleric has yet to appear in public. US President Donald Trump and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth have both claimed that Mojtaba was wounded and remains “disfigured" or “damaged" following recent strikes, a narrative the Iranian government has dismissed as propaganda.

The ‘Shadow Ten’: Senior Officials Named

The State Department’s “Rewards for Justice" banner identifies a core group of individuals who Washington claims “command and direct various elements of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)". Beyond Mojtaba Khamenei, the named officials include:

Ali Larijani: The Secretary of the Supreme Security Council and a long-time fixture in Iranian diplomacy and security. Larijani recently taunted US officials by appearing in a video during Quds Day demonstrations in Tehran to prove he was not “hiding underground".

Esmail Khatib: Iran’s Minister of Intelligence and Security, responsible for the regime’s domestic and international intelligence operations.

Brigadier General Eskandar Momeni: The Interior Minister, who oversees internal security and the suppression of domestic dissent.

Ali Asghar Hejazi: The Deputy Chief of Staff for the Supreme Leader’s Office, often described as a key liaison between the clerical leadership and the intelligence services.

Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi: A senior military adviser to the Supreme Leader and a former Commander-in-Chief of the IRGC.

The bounty also covers four additional high-ranking positions where the specific names or photographs are currently omitted, including the current Commander-in-Chief of the IRGC and the Secretary of the Supreme Defence Council.

A Strategy of Attrition and De-escalation

This bounty programme is being viewed as part of a broader “Maximum Pressure" 2.0 strategy by the Trump administration. By offering life-changing sums of money and the promise of relocation to any tipster using secure channels like Signal or Tor, the United States aims to incentivise defections from within the regime’s inner circle.

The announcement coincides with reports of internal instability in Iran, following a violent crackdown in early January that reportedly left over 36,000 dead. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has similarly stated that the current military pressure is creating “optimal conditions" for the Iranian people to topple the government. As the conflict continues to disrupt global energy supplies and maritime trade in the Strait of Hormuz, Washington is betting that the bounties may be the catalyst needed to fracture the IRGC’s command structure from within.

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