Update (Aug 17): Iran’s military announced a $30,000 bounty for killing or capturing U.S. troops, with the reward doubled for women, according to Army chief Amir Hatami. Additionally, Iran’s parliament speaker declared Sunday that Iran won the war against the U.S. and Israel, citing the June memorandum of understanding as proof of victory.
Iran’s top military commander has threatened that defenders of the Strait of Hormuz will “break your legs” after President Trump vowed to declare the strategic waterway a U.S. territory, escalating rhetoric as a ceasefire agreement between the two nations expires Sunday.
Major General Amir Hatami made the threat on August 16 in response to Trump’s August 14 declaration that “pretty soon I’ll be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States.” Hatami said joking about such a move was a “major mistake” and that Iran had defenders prepared to resist any U.S. claim to the waterway.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi had already rejected Trump’s assertion, stating: “The Strait of Hormuz has been Iranian, is Iranian, and will remain Iranian; this strait will only be closed and opened under Iran’s command.” Gharibabadi added that the strait “cannot be seized by tweet, nor by aircraft carrier, nor by issuing an order, nor by an election speech.”
The Strait of Hormuz carries approximately 20% of the world’s global oil supply, making it one of the world’s most critical maritime routes. The waterway has been largely blocked since the U.S. and Iran began major combat operations on February 28, 2026, disrupting global energy markets and sending oil prices soaring.
The June 17 memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran, which set a 60-day window for negotiating a final deal and called for resuming merchant traffic through the strait, expires on August 17. The agreement had already shown signs of strain, with both sides accusing the other of violations and neither committing to formal negotiations in recent weeks.
Hatami also claimed that U.S. military forces had been “effectively driven out” of the region and would no longer be permitted to enter the Persian Gulf, Sea of Oman, or Strait of Hormuz. He announced a $30,000 bounty for any Iranian who captures or kills a U.S. service member, and said those who succeed would have their weapons purchased at double the price and receive new weapons in return.
The escalation comes as a bulk carrier was reportedly struck by an unknown projectile in the Strait of Hormuz on August 15, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre. Following the breakdown of the interim ceasefire in June, shipping in the strait has repeatedly come under fire from Iranian projectiles, while the U.S. has struck Iranian targets as part of its naval blockade of Iranian ports.
Trump has previously suggested that the U.S. could impose tolls on ships transiting the strait once the conflict ends, though he later dropped the idea. International law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, limits coastal-state sovereignty over territorial waters to 12 nautical miles and recognizes the right of passage that “shall not be impeded.” The Strait of Hormuz, at its narrowest point only about 21 nautical miles wide, sits between the territorial waters of Iran and Oman.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the U.S. will apply economic measures “that have never been seen on Iran,” combining economic isolation with the continued naval blockade. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated the military can maintain the blockade “indefinitely,” with the USS George Washington strike group departing Vietnam on August 12 to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln, which has been deployed for more than 250 days.
Sources
- The Sun — Major General Amir Hatami’s threat and claims about U.S. forces being expelled, the $30,000 bounty announcement
- CNBC — Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Gharibabadi’s response, the bulk carrier strike report, and Treasury Secretary Bessent’s statement on economic measures
- Al Jazeera — Trump’s declaration about the Strait, Iran’s rejection, the June memorandum of understanding expiration date, and international law context
- Windward — The Strait of Hormuz carrying 20% of global crude oil supply
- DataForSEO/Multiple outlets — February 28, 2026 as the start date of major combat operations, Defense Secretary Hegseth’s statement on indefinite blockade capability
