RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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TEHRAN- Iranian Army Commander-in-Chief Major General Amir Hatami has announced a $30,000 reward for any Iranian who captures or kills a US military personnel member, saying the initiative has been prepared in response to widespread public requests to support the country’s armed forces.
Hatami made the remarks on Sunday at a ceremony honoring journalists, where he also warned the United States against any further military action and outlined Iran’s military capabilities and strategic position following the recent conflict. Under the new plan, anyone who kills or captures and hands over a US military personnel will receive a reward of $30,000 from the Iranian Army, Hatami said. He added that Iranian women who carry out such an action would receive twice the reward. The army chief said the plan had been prepared following the large number of requests from people seeking to participate in “financial jihad” in support of the armed forces. Hatami also announced additional incentives. The weapon used by anyone who kills a US military personnel member will be purchased by the Army at twice its original price, while the individual will receive a new weapon. The weapon used in the operation, he added, will be preserved in a designated museum.
Hatami sharply criticized recent remarks by US President Donald Trump concerning the Strait of Hormuz and warned Washington against attempting to assert control over the strategic waterway. He said Iran would not allow the Strait of Hormuz to become a platform for threatening the country and described the waterway as a major geopolitical asset for Iran. Hatami said the strategic importance of the strait would not return to its previous status and that Iran would use all its capabilities to protect it. He said the activation of the Strait of Hormuz’s strategic potential was one of the consequences of the recent conflict and added that protecting this leverage was worth any cost.
Hatami said Iranian forces had struck the USS Abraham Lincoln at least once during the recent fighting. According to the army chief, the US aircraft carrier was hit by an Iranian projectile and, for a period, none of the fighter aircraft aboard the vessel was able to take off. He said the carrier was now returning. The army chief said the recent conflict had undermined the longstanding image of US military dominance. He said the United States had built extensive military capabilities since World War II and the Persian Gulf War but had suffered serious and destructive blows during the recent confrontation with Iran. Hatami said the United States no longer possessed the same level of authority and military influence it had in the past, adding that countries were increasingly moving toward alternative arrangements to provide security for themselves. He also said developments surrounding the recent conflict had demonstrated that countries could not rely solely on the United States for their security.
Iran calls for US withdrawal from the region Hatami said US military bases in the region could not return to their previous status and that Iran would not allow facilities to be established in neighboring countries for the purpose of threatening the Islamic Republic. “The only way is for the Americans to leave the region,” he said, adding that the expulsion of US forces from the region had already begun. He said US forces no longer had permission to enter the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman or the Strait of Hormuz, describing Iran’s position as a victory that Tehran was now working to consolidate.
Iran highlights missile and drone capabilities
Hatami also referred to Iran’s recent missile and drone strikes against US and Israeli positions, particularly in Jordan, saying the operations demonstrated Iran’s ability to reach its adversaries. He said Iran’s armed forces had the technical and tactical capabilities to penetrate various layers of air-defense systems and pointed to Iran’s strikes against Israeli defense systems as an example. Hatami warned that any renewed military action against Iran would be met with a forceful response.
Iran rebuilding offensive and defensive capabilities
The army chief said Iran was rapidly rebuilding and strengthening its offensive and defensive capabilities. He rejected reports that Iran’s defensive capabilities had been destroyed during the recent fighting, saying the country had preserved its existing military capacity while adding new capabilities. Some of these capabilities, he said, had already been demonstrated during the conflict around the Strait of Hormuz. Hatami warned Iran’s adversaries against repeating their previous major mistakes, stressing that Iran faced no restrictions in defending itself.
Strait of Hormuz to remain Iran’s strategic leverage Hatami described the Strait of Hormuz as a major geopolitical asset for Iran and said the waterway would not return to its previous status. He said the recent conflict had activated a strategic capacity that Iran had long recognized but had not previously needed to employ on the same scale. Hatami said Iran would protect this strategic leverage with all its capabilities and under the direction of the country’s top military leadership.
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