Iran’s army chief has warned Donald Trump that his remarks about the Strait of Hormuz were a serious mistake, saying there were people in Iran who would “break your legs”. Major General Amir Hatami was responding to comments by the US president about the strategic waterway, which has become a major point of dispute between Washington and Tehran during the ongoing conflict.

“Joking about such remarks is a major mistake, because this is Iran, and it has defenders who will break your legs,” Gen Hatami said, according to Iranian state broadcaster IRIB.

Trump has threatened to declare the Strait of Hormuz US territory as tensions continue over the waterway, through which a significant share of the world’s oil and gas supplies normally passes.

Gen Hatami also said US forces had been “effectively driven out” and no longer had permission to enter the Gulf, the Sea of Oman or the Strait of Hormuz. US bases in the region would not be allowed to return to their previous status, he said, adding: “Iran will never allow this.”

The comments came as Iranian officials continued to reject calls for renewed negotiations with Washington, telling Trump to “accept the reality of defeat”.

Iran’s army also announced a bounty of $30,000 for anyone who kills or captures a US soldier and hands them over to the Iranian authorities.

The reward would be doubled if the action was carried out by a woman, Gen Hatami said. “Anyone who kills or captures and hands over an invading American military personnel will receive a reward equivalent to $30,000 or 5 billion tomans from the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Army,” he was quoted by Iran’s state news agency IRNA as saying.

“Courageous Iranian women who carry out such an action will receive double the reward,” he added.

Gen Hatami said the scheme had been drawn up following what he described as a large number of requests from people wanting to provide financial support.

He did not give details about where or when the killing or capture of US soldiers was expected to take place.

There has been no known deployment of US ground forces in Iran during the conflict, apart from a rescue mission in April for an American pilot whose aircraft had been downed.

The Strait of Hormuz has remained one of the main obstacles to a lasting agreement between Iran and the US. The conflict began on 28 February after the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran. Iran subsequently retaliated with attacks on Israel and US bases in neighbouring countries.

The fighting has included repeated attacks around the Strait of Hormuz, with Iran restricting commercial shipping through the vital waterway.

The strait normally carries about a fifth of the world’s oil and gas supplies, making its disruption a major concern for global energy markets.

A ceasefire brokered by Pakistan in April brought an initial halt to weeks of fighting, while a later framework for peace talks collapsed.

Since then, Iran and the US have continued to exchange fire intermittently, with much of the fighting focused on southern Iran and the area around the Strait of Hormuz.