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Iran’s Army Chief Major General Amir Hatami has announced a financial reward for anyone who kills or captures US military personnel, saying the era of the US military presence in the Persian Gulf region is coming to an end.
Speaking at an event marking National Journalists’ Day in Tehran on Sunday (16 August), Hatami said the reward programme had been funded through donations from ordinary people.
Under the scheme, anyone who kills or captures a US soldier and hands the person over to the authorities would receive a reward of around $30,000. Hatami said women who carry out such an act would receive twice that amount, while the weapon used would be purchased at double its value and preserved in a museum.
Hatami also said major changes had been made to Iran’s military and security leadership under the direction of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. He said six senior positions, including the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, had been filled with new officials.
The army chief further claimed that Iranian forces had successfully attacked the US aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, temporarily disrupting its aircraft operations. The claim could not be independently verified.
Hatami also said Iran would no longer permit US military forces to move through the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman or the Strait of Hormuz. He described the withdrawal of US forces from the Middle East as the only solution to the ongoing regional tensions.