Iran’s military has announced a $30,000 reward for anyone who captures or kills a US servicemember, amid escalating tensions between Tehran and Washington.
Iranian Army Commander-in-Chief, Major General Amir Hatami, announced the reward on Sunday, according to Iran’s state news agency IRNA. He said the programme was developed following what he described as a large number of requests from people seeking to participate in what Iranian authorities called financial support for the war effort.
Under the reported scheme, anyone who captures or kills an American military personnel and hands the individual over to Iranian authorities would receive $30,000, equivalent to about five billion Iranian tomans.
Hatami also announced a higher incentive for women. He said an Iranian woman who successfully carries out the capture or killing of a US servicemember would receive double the reward.
The announcement comes against the backdrop of continuing military tensions between Iran and the United States. The two countries have been involved in intermittent fighting, while disputes over the Strait of Hormuz have further intensified the confrontation.
Despite the announcement, reports indicate that there has been no known deployment of US ground forces inside Iran during the current conflict, apart from a rescue mission conducted in April involving a downed American pilot. Hatami did not specify where or when the proposed capture or killing of US servicemembers was expected to take place.
The Iranian military has framed the reward as part of a broader mobilisation of public support against what it describes as American aggression. The announcement also reflects the increasingly hostile rhetoric accompanying the conflict.
The development follows recent disagreements over the Strait of Hormuz, a strategically important waterway through which a significant share of global oil shipments normally passes. Tehran has maintained that it controls access to the strait, while US President Donald Trump has made increasingly forceful statements about American control of the waterway.
The latest bounty announcement is likely to further heighten concerns over the safety of American personnel and the potential for the conflict to spread beyond direct military operations.
However, the practical implications of the reward remain unclear. Iranian authorities have not provided details on how the programme would be administered, how successful captures would be verified or how payments would be made.
The announcement nevertheless represents a significant escalation in the rhetoric surrounding the Iran-US confrontation. By publicly offering financial incentives for the capture or killing of American servicemembers, Tehran has directly raised the stakes for US personnel operating in the region.
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