On July 20, President Trump fired off a blunt warning on social media: “For every American soldier Iran kills, they will pay a multiple price.”
He made it clear that this directive has been passed down to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Joint Chiefs Chairman General Caine, and all military leaders.
According to CBS News, the White House announced on the 20th that Trump will attend the dignified transfer ceremony for fallen soldiers.
On July 19, U.S. Central Command posted on social media that two American soldiers were killed in an Iranian attack in Jordan on the 17th, with another still missing. After an exhaustive search, troops found unidentified remains at the scene earlier on the 19th, and identification efforts are ongoing.
Central Command also reported that on the 18th, a U.S. service member died during a mission in northern Iraq when unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian one-way attack drone was detonated in a controlled blast. Another soldier suffered minor injuries and is receiving treatment.
On July 19, Trump stated that the day’s heavy strikes on Iran were in honor of the three U.S. personnel killed in the Middle East.
But the Trump administration hasn’t completely ruled out diplomacy. According to CNN, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on July 19, “The U.S. is always open to diplomatic solutions. We’ve tried with Iran many times before, and we’ll keep trying.”
CBS reported on July 20 that U.S. officials say recent Iranian airstrikes on American bases in the Middle East have injured nearly 100 troops this month.
Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed that since July 7, nearly 100 service members have been identified with varying degrees of injury, with 96% already back on duty.
“They’re determined to return to the fight,” Parnell said. “The vast majority of injuries are mild concussions.”