TEHRAN – Iran’s military announced on Aug 16 that it was offering a bounty equivalent to US$30,000 (S$38,388) for killing or capturing US soldiers, with the reward doubled if carried out by a woman.

Army chief Amir Hatami said the plan had been drawn up following “the large number of requests” to participate in the financial support, according to the IRNA state news agency.

There has been no known deployment of US ground forces in Iran during the Middle East war, with the exception of a rescue mission in April for a downed American pilot.

Hatami did not provide any details on where or when the killing or capturing of US soldiers was expected to take place.

“Anyone who kills or captures and hands over an invading American military personnel will receive a reward equivalent to US$30,000 or five billion tomans from the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Army,” Hatami said, using an informal unit equivalent to 10,000 Iranian rials (one Singapore cent).

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

Hatami repeated Iran’s call for the US to leave the Middle East, and said “they no longer have permission to enter the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman or the Strait of Hormuz”.

The war between Tehran and Washington began on Feb 28 after the US, joined by Israel, attacked Iran.

Just over a month into the war, the US launched a massive rescue operation to retrieve the weapon systems officer of an F-15 jet, involving around 200 US troops and more than 170 aircraft racing to find the airman ahead of Iranian forces.

During the rescue, Iranian troops damaged an A-10 ground attack aircraft which was ditched over friendly territory. The US also reportedly abandoned and destroyed aircraft used during the mission including a C-130 transport plane.

Days before, the pilot of the F-15 was rescued by a helicopter crew in a smaller operation.

The war was later paused by an April ceasefire after nearly 40 days of fighting, followed by a June framework for peace talks that later collapsed.

Iran and the United States have since traded fire sporadically, with fighting mainly centred in southern Iran and around the Strait of Hormuz.

Indirect contact between the two sides via mediators has continued with little sign of any diplomatic breakthrough. Iran has also set out a list of demands for reopening the strait, including war damages.

The number of US military personnel killed since the start of the war stands at 17, with the most recent deaths in July. They have all been killed outside of Iran, in countries including Jordan and Iraq. AFP