Iran Offers $30,000 Bounty for Killing or Capturing American Troops — Double If Carried Out By a Woman

Iran’s military is offering cash rewards for anyone who kills or captures an American service member as fighting with the U.S. and its allies continues across the Middle East.

Iranian Army chief Amir Hatami announced Sunday that anyone who kills or captures an “invading American military personnel” and hands them over will receive the equivalent of approximately $30,000.

“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 Iran’s Army,” Hatami said.

Female participants are being offered twice as much.

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

Amir Hatami, Iran’s Army chief, announced a $30,000 reward, equivalent to around 5.6 billion tomans, for anyone who kills or captures a “US service member.” He said the reward would be doubled if an Iranian woman does so. pic.twitter.com/I27WjV99FP

— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) August 16, 2026

According to Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency, Hatami claimed the scheme was established following a “large number of requests” from people seeking to provide financial support.

However, Iran did not explain where prospective bounty hunters would encounter American troops.

There is currently no known deployment of U.S. ground forces inside Iran.

The only publicly known American ground operation there during the conflict was an April mission to rescue a downed U.S. pilot.

The announcement comes amid a war that has now dragged on for nearly six months.

The conflict began in February when the U.S. and Israel launched attacks against Iranian military targets.

Nearly 40 days of fighting were followed by a ceasefire in April and then a framework for peace negotiations in June.

Those diplomatic efforts subsequently collapsed, leaving the two sides exchanging sporadic fire.

Recent fighting has been concentrated largely in southern Iran and around the Strait of Hormuz, the strategically important waterway connecting the Persian Gulf with the Arabian Sea.

Tensions surrounding the strait have become particularly important as Washington seeks to maintain freedom of navigation through a route critical to global energy supplies.

The bounty announcement marks another escalation in Tehran’s rhetoric against the U.S., even as the absence of American ground forces inside Iran leaves unclear how the scheme would actually operate.