Iran has offered a bounty of 30 billion rials, approximately $30,000, for anyone who kills or captures a US soldier and hands them over to Iranian authorities. This bounty, announced on August 16, 2026, by Iranian army chief Amir Hatami through state media including the hardline Kayhan newspaper, marks a significant escalation in Iran’s rhetoric against US military presence in the Middle East. Since February 28, 2026, at least 17 US military personnel have been killed in the conflict between the two countries, while Iran demands the withdrawal of American forces from the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, through which approximately 20% of the world’s oil passes.
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