Tehran, Aug 17 (HS): Iran's military has announced a bounty equivalent to $30,000 for killing or capturing US soldiers, with the reward to be doubled if the action is carried out by a woman, according to the IRNA state news agency.
Army chief Amir Hatami said the plan had been drawn up following a “large number of requests” from people seeking to participate.
“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 said, according to IRNA. He added that Iranian women carrying out such an action would receive double the reward.
Hatami did not provide details on where or when the killing or capture of US soldiers was expected to take place. There has been no known deployment of US ground forces in Iran during the conflict, apart from a rescue mission in April involving a downed American airman.
Hatami reiterated Iran's demand for the US to leave the Middle East and said American forces no longer had permission to enter the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman or Strait of Hormuz.
The conflict between Tehran and Washington began on February 28 when the United States and Israel attacked Iran. The war was later paused by an April ceasefire after nearly 40 days of fighting, followed by a June framework for peace talks that subsequently collapsed.
Iran and the United States have since exchanged fire sporadically, with fighting mainly centred in southern Iran and around the Strait of Hormuz. Indirect contacts between the two sides through mediators have continued, though there has been little indication of a diplomatic breakthrough.
Iran has also set out demands for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, including compensation for war-related damages.
According to the report, 17 US military personnel have been killed since the start of the conflict, with the latest deaths reported in July. The US personnel were killed outside Iran, including in Jordan and Iraq.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
