Iran’s military announced a bounty of $30,000 for killing or capturing US soldiers, with the reward doubled if carried out by a woman, in a dramatic escalation of rhetoric as the war with Washington grinds on.
Army chief Amir Hatami said the plan had been drawn up following “a large number of requests” to participate in financial support for the war effort, according to the IRNA state news agency. “Anyone who kills or captures and hands over an invading American military personnel will receive a reward equivalent to $30,000 or five billion tomans from the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Army,” Hatami said. “Courageous Iranian women who carry out such action will receive double the reward.”
No Ground Forces in Iran
The announcement is significant partly because there has been no known deployment of US ground forces inside Iran during the conflict, with the exception of a rescue mission in April for a downed American pilot. Hatami did not specify where or when the killing or capturing of US soldiers was expected to take place, leaving the bounty’s practical scope ambiguous.
The bounty drew immediate condemnation from US officials. The Pentagon called the announcement “reckless and destabilising,” while the State Department said it was reviewing appropriate responses. Iran’s offer echoes a pattern of proxy warfare incentives, though a formal state-sponsored bounty of this nature is unusual in modern conflict.
War Enters Fifth Month
The war between Tehran and Washington began on 28 February after the United States, joined by Israel, launched airstrikes against Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure. The initial phase of heavy combat lasted nearly 40 days before an April ceasefire, followed by a June memorandum of understanding that set a framework for peace talks.
Those talks have since collapsed. The 60-day MoU expired over the weekend with no permanent agreement in sight. Trump declared the ceasefire “over” on Sunday and said he was in no hurry to reach a new deal, telling Fox News his administration had established a direct backchannel with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.
The bounty announcement came as the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed to normal commercial traffic. Only three ships transited the critical waterway on Sunday, according to data from Kpler, with the five-day average standing at just 12 vessels compared to a pre-conflict baseline of roughly 120 per day.
“This is not the language of a government seeking peace,” a senior US official said on condition of anonymity. “It is designed to incentivise attacks on American service members and cannot go unanswered.”
Analysts noted that the bounty could complicate already fragile diplomatic efforts. Pakistan and Qatar have been mediating between the two sides, but the offer of financial rewards for killing soldiers is likely to harden positions on both sides. Iran’s parliament is simultaneously advancing legislation to formalise its control over the Strait of Hormuz, further raising the stakes in the standoff.
Sources: Reuters; AFP; IRNA; France24; The Straits Times
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