Iran offers $30,000 bounty on U.S. soldiers, doubles reward for women

Iran has announced a monetary bounty of $30,000 for anyone who kills or captures a U.S. soldier, with the reward doubled to $60,000 if the act is carried out by an Iranian woman. The declaration was made on Sunday, August 16, 2026, by Iranian Army Chief Major General Amir Hatami, according to a report by the state-run IRNA news agency.

Speaking to reporters, Hatami stated the initiative was launched in response to a large number of requests from individuals seeking to contribute financially to the military effort. He specified the reward would be paid by the Iranian Army, equivalent to five billion Iranian tomans. However, the army chief did not provide details on where or when such an attack or capture might take place. His announcement did not correspond with any known deployment of U.S. ground troops inside Iran during the ongoing conflict.

The bounty represents a significant rhetorical escalation in the long-running hostilities between Tehran and Washington. The conflict itself began on February 28, 2026, following a joint U.S.-Israeli strike on Iran. After weeks of fighting, a ceasefire was reached in April. A framework for peace negotiations was agreed upon in June, but...