Iran is offering a $30,000 reward for the capture of American soldiers.
The Iranian military issued a notable announcement regarding a bounty for capturing or killing American soldiers. According to the announcement, any individual who performs such an action will receive a reward of $30,000.
According to AFP, the state news agency IRNA reported that Iranian Army Commander Amir Hatami outlined plans for a bounty on the capture of American soldiers. This move was devised after numerous requests from the public to participate. Hatami did not provide further details about the location or timing of these activities.
Anyone who kills or captures and hands over a U.S. soldier will receive a reward equivalent to $30,000. This is equivalent to 5 billion toman from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, using an unofficial currency unit that exchanges for 10,000 Iranian rials. Brave Iranian women who perform such acts will receive double the reward.
In addition, Hatami reiterated his call for the US military to leave the Middle East. He emphasized that US forces no longer have the right to access the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, or the Strait of Hormuz.
The conflict between Tehran and Washington erupted on February 28th, when the US and Israel launched an attack on Iran. Just over a month after the fighting began, US forces had to deploy a large-scale rescue operation. The objective was to rescue the weapons systems officer of an F-15 fighter jet. This operation mobilized approximately 200 US troops and more than 170 aircraft in a race against time to find the pilot before Iranian forces could reach him.
In April, fighting subsided thanks to a ceasefire after 40 days of conflict. A framework for peace negotiations was then established in June, but it quickly collapsed. Since then, Iran and the US have maintained sporadic clashes, primarily concentrated in southern Iran and around the Strait of Hormuz.
Indirect communication between the two sides through intermediaries has been maintained. However, there are currently few signs of a diplomatic breakthrough. Iran has also put forward a list of demands for reopening the strait, which includes war reparations.
To date, the number of American soldiers killed since the start of the war is 17.