Iran Offers $30,000 Bounty for US Troops: Army Chief Hatami Confirms Reward, Doubled for Women

Iran's army chief has announced a £24,000 ($30,000) reward for anyone who kills or captures a US soldier, escalating the rhetoric surrounding the continuing confrontation between Tehran and Washington. Major General Amir Hatami said the Iranian Army would pay the equivalent of 5 billion tomans to anyone who 'eliminates or captures' an American service member and hands them over to Iranian authorities, according to Iran's official IRNA news agency.

Hatami reportedly added a striking gender-specific incentive: 'Courageous Iranian women' who carry out the same action would receive double the reward. That would put the potential payment at roughly £48,000 ($60,000).

The announcement came as the US and Iran remain locked in a dangerous standoff, particularly around the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz. The announcement matters because it moves the conflict beyond conventional military threats and openly encourages individuals to target American service members for cash.

It also raises questions about where such a reward could realistically be claimed, since there has been no known broad deployment of US ground troops inside Iran during the current war, with the only confirmed US ground presence involving an April rescue mission for a downed American airman.

What Hatami Said About US Troops

Hatami made the announcement at a ceremony honouring journalists, according to IRNA. He said the Iranian Army would provide the reward to anyone who killed or captured an 'American aggressor' and delivered the person to the authorities.

The reported announcement was unusually explicit. Rather than simply threatening American forces, Tehran attached a financial incentive to the killing or capture of US personnel.

Reports on the statement said Hatami described the plan as having been developed after a 'large number of requests' from people seeking to participate in the confrontation financially.

The additional payment for women makes the announcement particularly notable. According to the reported statement, Iranian women who successfully kill or capture an American soldier would receive twice the standard reward.

The unusual provision has drawn attention because it frames participation by women as a form of 'courage' while offering them a substantially larger financial incentive.

Why Iran Has Put a Price on US Soldiers

The bounty comes against the backdrop of an increasingly tense US-Iran confrontation that has centred on the Strait of Hormuz. The two countries remain in a standoff over the strategic waterway despite earlier negotiations aimed at reaching a war-ending agreement, according to IRNA.

Iran's armed forces also said they would continue their 'resistance' against the United States and Israel until what they called the 'complete defeat' of their enemies. Tehran simultaneously called for retaliation over the killing of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, adding another layer of tension to the military confrontation.

Hatami has previously used similarly forceful language against Washington. In June 2025, after US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, he warned that America would receive a 'decisive response' and accused Washington of being the main party responsible for the attacks, according to IRNA at the time. Hatami argued that the US had repeatedly faced Iranian retaliation for what Tehran described as American 'crimes'.

Where the Bounty Would Apply

The practical implications of the reward are less clear than its political message. The announcement did not specify where or when an American soldier could be targeted to qualify for payment. That is significant because US forces are deployed across the wider Middle East, while confirmed American ground operations inside Iran have been extremely limited.

The bounty, therefore, appears, at least in part, to function as a message of deterrence and retaliation. By placing a cash value on American military personnel, Tehran is signalling that US forces remain a direct target while reinforcing its demand that Washington leave the region.

The announcement also comes as the Strait of Hormuz remains a major flashpoint. The waterway is crucial to global energy markets, making any escalation between the two countries potentially significant well beyond the battlefield.

For American troops and their families, however, the significance is more immediate. The Iranian Army has publicly attached a price to their capture or death. Whether the bounty is ever claimed is uncertain, but the announcement itself demonstrates how sharply the conflict has escalated — and how far Tehran's rhetoric has moved from conventional threats towards openly incentivising attacks on US personnel.