ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iran's military announced on Sunday that it was offering a bounty equivalent to $30,000 for killing or capturing US soldiers amid ongoing tensions and sporadic clashes between Tehran and Washington.
Iran's army chief Amir Hatami said individuals who capture or kill what he described as "American aggressor" forces would receive the equivalent of $30,000, according to remarks carried by Iran's semi-official Fars news agency. Women who carry out such actions would be entitled to twice that amount, he added.
"With the participation of the people, if any Iranian force manages to capture or kill an American aggressor force, they will receive a $30,000 reward from the people of Iran," Hatami said.
The move by the Iranian authorities is reminiscent of what Saddam Hussein offered to Iraqi people in the dying days of his regime in 2003.
The announcement comes nearly six months after the outbreak of war between Iran and the United States, which began on February 28 when the US and Israel launched a joint aerial campaign, striking thousands of targets across Iran.
"Courageous Iranian women who carry out such an action will receive double the reward," Hatami added.
Hatami said the initiative was developed after the military received numerous requests from people seeking to participate in efforts against US forces. He did not explain how the rewards would be funded or identify any locations where American troops could be targeted.
Hatami also renewed Tehran's demand for a US military withdrawal from the region, declaring that American forces "no longer have permission to enter the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman or the Strait of Hormuz."
Despite an April ceasefire and later attempts to launch peace talks, hostilities have continued intermittently.
Fighting has largely been concentrated in southern Iran and around the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, while indirect contacts between Tehran and Washington have yet to produce a diplomatic breakthrough.
The Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway through which around one-fifth of global oil supplies pass, has been a contentious point between the US and Iran since the onset of the war.
In response, Tehran has carried out thousands of drone and missile strikes across the Middle East, targeting alleged US assets - particularly in Gulf Arab states - as well as launching retaliatory attacks against Israel.
