Bounty details and criteria

Iranian Army chief Amir Hatami said the bounty plan was created after a large number of requests from people who wanted to provide financial support. The offer applies to anyone who kills or captures a US military personnel and hands that person over to Iran’s Army.

• Base reward: $30,000 or 5 billion tomans
• Women who carry out the act: double the stated reward
• The announcement was attributed to Army chief Amir Hatami
• No specific location or time was given for any possible capture or killing 

• “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,” Hatami was quoted by IRNA as saying.

  Hatami did not say where the reward would apply or identify any specific US unit or location. The announcement therefore gives no clear indication of how or where the offer would be acted on.

  Women offered double reward

  The gender-based part of the announcement is unusual. Hatami said Iranian women who act would receive twice the standard reward.

  “Courageous Iranian women who carry out such an action will receive double the reward,” he said.

  The statement did not provide further details about how the higher payment for women would be verified or administered.

  US troops and the April rescue mission

  The bounty offer comes despite there being no known permanent US ground deployment inside Iran during the conflict. US forces did, however, carry out a rescue mission in April after an American military aircraft was brought down over Iran.

  The operation involved efforts to recover US aircrew from inside Iranian territory. The incident showed that American military personnel could enter Iran during a high-risk operation even without a wider ground deployment.

  Strait of Hormuz and strategic context

  The Strait of Hormuz has become one of the main pressure points in the US-Iran conflict. The waterway is a major route for global energy shipments, and restrictions on shipping have added pressure to oil markets and the wider global economy.

  • Iran has restricted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz
  • The US has pressed for the waterway to reopen
  • Control of the strait has become a major issue in peace efforts
  • Shipping disruptions have raised concerns over global energy supplies

  The dispute over the strait is closely linked to wider disagreements over sanctions, regional security and Iran’s military position. Any deal between Washington and Tehran would have to address the future of the waterway and the conditions for commercial shipping.

  US-Iran war 

  The US-Iran war began on February 28 after the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran. Iran responded with attacks on Israel and US military positions in the region, while the conflict spread across several parts of West Asia.

  • The war began on February 28
  • Iran responded with missile and drone strikes
  • The Strait of Hormuz became a central part of the conflict
  • An April ceasefire was followed by further tensions
  • Later peace efforts focused on ending the fighting and restoring shipping

  The conflict has since remained tied to the question of who controls or manages the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has insisted on its position over the waterway, while the United States has pushed for open international shipping.

  The statement did not identify a target area, a timetable or any specific US personnel.

  For now, the Strait of Hormuz remains at the center of the wider dispute. The bounty announcement comes as the two countries continue to face major disagreements over security, military operations, sanctions and the future of the strategic waterway.