Iran’s military has announced a $30,000 reward for anyone who kills or captures a US soldier, marking a sharp escalation in Tehran’s rhetoric amid its ongoing confrontation with Washington.
Iranian Army Chief Major General Amir Hatami announced the bounty on Sunday, according to Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency.
He said anyone who kills or captures and hands over an American military personnel would receive $30,000, equivalent to about 5 billion Iranian tomans.
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Hatami also said the reward would be doubled to $60,000 if the action were carried out by an Iranian woman. He said the decision followed what he described as a large number of requests from people seeking to participate in the effort.
The announcement comes against the backdrop of the continuing US-Iran conflict and heightened tensions across the Middle East.
Hatami did not specify where or when potential attacks or captures would be expected to take place.
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The offer is notable because there are no known US ground forces deployed inside Iran at present, apart from an April rescue operation involving a downed American airman.
US military personnel remain deployed at bases and facilities elsewhere in the Middle East, however.
The bounty adds another dangerous dimension to an already volatile confrontation, potentially increasing concerns over the security of American personnel and the risk of attacks by individuals or Iran-aligned groups operating across the region.
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The announcement also underscores Tehran’s continuing demand for the withdrawal of US military forces from the Middle East, as tensions over regional security and strategic waterways remain high.
