U.S. Bounty of $10 Million Targets Iranian Cyber Commander Linked to Infrastructure Hacks

The U.S. State Department announced a $10 million reward for information that leads to the identification or apprehension of Amir Yaryab, whom officials say heads the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' cyber unit and is responsible for recent attacks on American critical infrastructure.

According to the department, Yaryab oversees several hacker collectives, including the group known as CyberAv3ngers. These actors have been tied to disruptive operations against sectors such as energy, water and transportation, prompting concerns about the resilience of essential services.

Over the past several years, U.S. agencies have increasingly attributed a series of high‑profile cyber incidents to Iranian state‑sponsored groups. Analysts note that the tactics observed—ransomware, data‑wiping malware and coordinated denial‑of‑service attacks—reflect a growing capability to exploit vulnerabilities in aging infrastructure systems.

The new bounty is part of a broader U.S. strategy to deter foreign cyber aggression by encouraging public cooperation. Similar rewards have been offered in the past for tips on other hostile actors, signaling that Washington is willing to use financial incentives to supplement traditional intelligence gathering.

Cybersecurity experts caution, however, that attribution in the digital realm remains technically challenging. Pinpointing a single individual often requires corroborating evidence from multiple sources, including signals intelligence, forensic analysis and human informants.

The announcement comes amid ongoing diplomatic tensions with Iran over regional activities and emerging cyber‑norm discussions. The State Department says the reward offer is open now, with instructions for submitting tips posted on its website, and it will remain in effect until the objective is achieved or the program is otherwise concluded.