Army chief frames initiative as response to public calls for “financial jihad” amid protracted conflict.
Iran’s military has announced a cash reward equivalent to $30,000 for any person who kills or captures a US service member, with the sum doubled to $60,000 if the action is carried out by a woman. The offer was made public on Sunday by Major General Amir Hatami, the commander-in-chief of the Iranian Army, according to the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).
Iran Offers $30,000 Bounty for US Soldiers:
Hatami said the scheme was developed after “a large number of requests” from Iranians seeking ways to contribute to the war effort. “Anyone who kills or captures and hands over an invading American military personnel will receive a reward equivalent to $30,000 or 5 billion tomans from the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Army,” he stated. “Courageous Iranian women who carry out such an action will receive double the reward.”
Some reports indicated additional incentives, including reimbursement at twice the market value of any weapon used, with the army replacing it and potentially displaying the original in a museum. The announcement did not specify locations, timelines, or operational details for such actions.
The bounty comes nearly six months into a conflict that began in late February 2026 following US and Israeli strikes on Iran. Fighting has included intermittent exchanges, particularly around southern Iran and the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, with periods of ceasefire and stalled diplomatic efforts. There has been no sustained deployment of US ground forces inside Iranian territory during the war, aside from a special operations rescue mission in April to recover personnel from a downed aircraft.
Iran Escalates Anti-US Rhetoric:
Hatami used the occasion to reiterate Tehran’s demand for the withdrawal of US forces from the wider region. He asserted that American bases could not return to their pre-war status and that US forces “no longer have permission to enter the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman or the Strait of Hormuz.” More than 50,000 American service members remain stationed across the Middle East, including at facilities in countries neighbouring Iran that have faced attacks during the conflict.
Analysts note that the reward appears aimed primarily at a domestic audience, framing individual participation as a form of contribution to the national effort often described in Iranian media as “financial jihad.” Local newspapers amplified the message, presenting resistance in personal terms. The practical reach of the offer remains unclear given the absence of large-scale US ground presence inside Iran, though US personnel operate at regional bases that have been targeted.
The announcement marks a further escalation in rhetoric between Tehran and Washington at a time when diplomatic pathways have largely stalled. It underscores the deep hostility that has characterised relations since the outbreak of hostilities, with both sides continuing to assert claims of strategic advantage even as the human and economic costs of the prolonged confrontation mount.