Iran Offers $30,000 Bounty for Killing or Capturing U.S. Soldiers — Doubled for Women

Iran's military has announced a $30,000 bounty for anyone who kills or captures a U.S. service member, with the reward doubled to $60,000 if the act is carried out by a woman.

Iranian Army Commander-in-Chief Maj. Gen. Amir Hatami made the announcement Sunday, describing it as a form of "financial jihad." According to Iran's state-run IRNA news agency, the plan followed a large volume of requests from Iranians seeking to participate. Hatami said the reward would come to "a reward equivalent to $30,000 or 5 billion tomans," using an informal unit equal to 10,000 Iranian rials. The announcement also promises that any weapon used in such an act would be purchased by the army at double its market value and replaced.

Hatami singled out women specifically for a doubled payout — a detail also confirmed independently by the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), Iran's state broadcaster, in a separate Sunday post.

Hatami did not specify a location or timeframe. There is no known deployment of U.S. ground forces inside Iran during the current conflict, aside from a limited rescue operation in April for a downed American airman. The bounty appears aimed instead at U.S. personnel operating elsewhere in the broader Middle East.

The statement lands as the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding — signed by President Trump at Versailles in June and setting a 60-day deadline to end the war and reach a nuclear accord — formally expired Monday with no renewal in sight. Talks have stalled over reopening the Strait of Hormuz and lifting a U.S. blockade on Iran, both of which the interim deal called for; neither has happened, and there's no sign detailed nuclear talks have even begun. Pakistan, which helped broker the June agreement, said last week it was still hoping for an extension, with a Foreign Ministry spokesman saying simply that Islamabad is "not closing the chapter."

The broader U.S.-Iran conflict began Feb. 28, 2026. According to Pentagon data, 17 U.S. service members have been killed since fighting started, with the most recent deaths reported in July in Jordan and Iraq, along with hundreds more wounded — all outside Iranian territory.

Hatami also repeated Tehran's demand that U.S. forces leave the region, saying they no longer have permission to enter the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman or the Strait of Hormuz.

Sources:

France24 — Iran offers $30,000 bounty for killing or capturing US soldiers

Jerusalem Post — Iranian military chief places $30,000 bounty on killed, captured US soldiers

The Tribune (ANI) — Iranian army chief offers $30,000 bounty, doubles reward for women

NBC News — The 60-day deadline for an Iran peace deal is expiring

IBTimes UK — Iran Offers $30,000 Bounty for US Troops