Iran offers USD 30,000 for killing or capturing US soldiers, double for women

Iran's military on Sunday (August 16) announced a bounty equivalent to USD 30,000 for killing or capturing US soldiers, with the reward doubling if the act is carried out by a woman, amid continued tensions between Tehran and Washington. Army Chief Amir Hatami said the plan was drawn up following a 'large number of requests' from people seeking to participate, according to an AFP report citing Iran's state-run IRNA news agency.

Seventeen US military personnel have been killed since the start of the conflict, with the latest deaths reported in July. All of the US personnel killed have died outside Iran, including in countries such as Jordan and Iraq.

Hatami did not provide any details on where or when the killing or capturing of US soldiers was expected to take place. "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 unit equivalent to 10,000 Iranian rials.

"Courageous Iranian women who carry out such an action will receive double the reward," he added.

Hatami repeated Iran's call for the US to leave the Middle East, and said, "they no longer have permission to enter the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman or the Strait of Hormuz".

It is pertinent to mention that there has been no known deployment of US ground forces in Iran during the ongoing Middle East war, apart from a rescue mission conducted in April for a downed American airman.

Earlier in the day, .

In a statement on X (previously Twitter), Qatar's foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari said it had conducted a search for the missing pilots "to the fullest". The remains of one of the pilots have also been handed over to Iran, he said. "We categorically deny the claims circulating regarding the detention of Iranian pilots & are surprised by these misleading statements," Ansari said. "Qatar also issued an invitation for an Iranian team to visit Qatar to be briefed on the details of the search & rescue operations in April, but the Iranian side has yet to respond to the invitation."

The war between the United States and Iran began on February 28, when the US and Israel launched attacks on Tehran and other locations across Iran, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Tehran retaliated with strikes against Israel and US military bases in neighbouring Arab countries.

The conflict was paused by a ceasefire in April after nearly 40 days of fighting. A framework for peace talks was subsequently announced in June, but the diplomatic process later collapsed.

Since then, Iran and the United States have continued to exchange fire sporadically, with much of the fighting centred in southern Iran and around the Strait of Hormuz.

Indirect communication between Tehran and Washington has continued through mediators, although there has been little indication of a diplomatic breakthrough. Iran has also laid out demands for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, including compensation for war-related damages.