Iran-US 60-day ceasefire expires as Tehran offers $30,000 bounty for killing or capturing American soldiers

Ceasefire expires amid escalation

The 60-day memorandum signed between Iran and the United States on June 17 expires on Monday, August 17, with no breakthrough in permanent peace talks. The agreement, signed in Islamabad, called for an immediate halt to military operations and a framework for resolving the Strait of Hormuz dispute. Hostilities had already resumed on July 7, however, after Washington accused Tehran of attacking commercial vessels in the strait, followed by renewed US bombings of southern Iran. The war itself began on February 28 with joint US-Israeli strikes against Iran, which retaliated by hitting Gulf states allied with Washington. A ceasefire was reached in April before the June framework deal, which has now effectively collapsed.

$30,000 bounty on US soldiers

Iranian army chief Amir Hatami announced on Sunday a bounty of $30,000 (equivalent to 5 billion tomans) for anyone who kills or captures an American soldier, with the reward doubled if the operation is carried out by a woman. Hatami said the plan was created following a "large number of requests" from people wanting to contribute. The weapon used in any such operation would be purchased by the army at twice its market value and permanently displayed in a dedicated museum, state media reported. At least 17 American troops have been killed during the war, all outside Iran, including at bases in Jordan and Iraq. No known US ground forces are deployed inside Iran, with the sole exception of an April rescue mission for a downed American pilot.

Trump threatens to claim Hormuz

On Friday, President Donald Trump announced he intended to declare the Strait of Hormuz as US territory "very soon," claiming Iran had been defeated. The strait is the transit point for roughly one-fifth of global oil and gas. Iran's deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi responded that the strait "cannot be conquered with a tweet, nor with an aircraft carrier, nor with an order, nor with an electoral speech" and that it "has been, is, and will remain Iranian." Hatami separately threatened that Iran's defenders would "break your legs," according to Iranian broadcaster IRIB, and stated that US forces no longer had permission to enter the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, or the Strait of Hormuz.

IRGC warns of "strategic surprises"

IRGC deputy commander for political affairs Yadollah Javani told Iranian television on Sunday that Iran's defense doctrine would shift to an offensive posture. He said all future actions, "even if defensive, must have an offensive character," and warned that the enemy "should perhaps expect strategic surprises." The Iranian parliament is preparing to vote on legislation to "guarantee lasting security and development of the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf," as well as a measure on "countering foreign interference" that would ban transit for any vessel carrying cargo owned by the US, Israel, or countries hostile to Iran. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is expected to announce economic measures "never seen before" against Iran this week.

Diplomatic track stalls

Separately, US envoy Jared Kushner met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after holding talks with Hamas leaders in Egypt. Kushner met with new Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya in the Egyptian city of El-Alamein, urging "concrete and verifiable steps" on disarmament. Hamas reiterated its commitment to disarmament but asked mediators and the Trump administration's Peace Council to pressure Israel into approving a roadmap and establishing a timetable for its implementation. Iran also accused Qatar of secretly holding three of its pilots downed in the early days of the war, a claim Doha denied.