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Iranian Army Chief Amir Hatami has announced a USD 30,000 bounty for anyone who kills or captures a US soldier, with the reward reportedly doubled when the act is carried out by a woman, amid ongoing friction between Tehran and Washington.
The decision comes after a "large number of requests" from individuals seeking to participate, state-run IRNA cited the military chief as saying. However, he did not specify the location or timeframe for any such potential attack or capture. "Anyone who kills or captures and hands over an invading American military personnel will receive a reward equivalent to USD 30,000 or 5 billion tomans from the Islamic Republic of Iran's Army," Hatami said, using an informal monetary unit equivalent to 10,000 Iranian rials. "Courageous Iranian women who carry out such an action will receive double the reward," he added. Reiterating Tehran's standing demand for the withdrawal of US forces from the region, Hatami remarked that "they no longer have permission to enter the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman or the Strait of Hormuz". The announcement comes despite there being no known deployment of US ground troops inside Iran during the conflict, apart from a major rescue operation in April involving approximately 200 US personnel and over 170 aircraft to recover the weapons systems officer of a downed F-15. The hostilities commenced on February 28 following US and Israeli strikes targeting Iran. Fighting was subsequently halted by an April ceasefire, followed by an attempted framework for peace negotiations in June that ultimately collapsed. Since the breakdown, Iran and the US have exchanged sporadic fire, predominantly around southern Iran and the Strait of Hormuz. Indirect communication via mediators has continued, though no major diplomatic breakthrough has emerged. Seventeen US military personnel have lost their lives since the conflict began, with the most recent casualties reported in July. All were killed outside Iranian territory, including in Jordan and Iraq. (ANI)
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