Iran offers $30,000 for killing or capturing US troops, despite no known American ground deployment inside the country.
Iran’s military has announced a reward worth $30,000 for anyone who kills or captures a US service member, despite no known US ground deployment inside Iran, France24 reported.
The payment would reportedly be doubled if the act were carried out by a woman.
Army chief Amir Hatami said the initiative was created after the military received numerous requests from Iranians seeking to participate, according to France24, citing the Iranian state-run IRNA news agency.
Seventeen US military personnel have reportedly been killed since the conflict began, most recently in July.
All of the deaths occurred outside Iran, including in Iraq and Jordan.
A 60-day window for peace negotiations expired this month without an agreement, despite continued indirect contacts between Washington and Tehran through mediators.
The process had been established under a memorandum signed in June but was soon undermined by renewed fighting.
US and Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28 triggered the conflict, followed by nearly 40 days of fighting before an April ceasefire brought the initial hostilities to an end.
An Iranian motorcyclist rides past the Gandhi Hospital, which is damaged after US-Israeli strikes on a state TV telecommunication tower nearby in Tehran, Iran, on March 2, 2026. Photo: Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via AFPUS Rescue Operation Inside Iran
The only publicly reported deployment of US ground forces inside Iran occurred in April, after an F-15 was struck by a shoulder-fired, heat-seeking missile.
Its two crew members ejected over Iranian territory and landed in separate locations.
The pilot was recovered first in a smaller helicopter operation.
Several days later, the US launched a much larger mission to reach the weapons systems officer before Iranian forces could capture the airman, with an operation that reportedly involved around 200 personnel and more than 170 aircraft.
During the mission, Iranian fire badly damaged an A-10 attack aircraft.
Its pilot managed to return to friendly territory before ejecting, having determined that the aircraft could not land safely.
US forces also reportedly destroyed equipment and aircraft they could not recover, including a C-130 transport plane.
