WASHINGTON — President Trump vowed to attack Iran “many times” over for each American soldier killed as fighting escalates — even as a Qatar-proposed 10-day cease-fire is under consideration.
At least 17 American soldiers have been killed thus far in the war. Three Americans were killed since Friday, with a fourth missing and presumed dead — in the first fatalities from enemy fire since March.
“Every time Iran kills an American Soldier they will pay for that killing many times over!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“This directive has been passed on to Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Daniel Caine, and every Leader in the Military.”
The US has bombed Iran for more than a week following the collapse of last month’s memorandum of understanding that called for a 60-day reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and continued nuclear talks.
Trump ordered American forces to pummel Iranian military targets Monday night in the 10th consecutive night.
“Today at 4 pm ET, US forces began a new round of strikes against Iran at the Commander in Chief’s direction,” CENTCOM announced on X.
“The strikes are designed to further degrade Iranian military capabilities used to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz,” the combatant command added.
Qatar has floated a 10-day cease-fire to de-escalate the renewed fighting, which began when Iran attacked commercial ships in the strait for following a US-preferred route rather than one closer to Iran.
Trump “knows Iran is trying to provoke him into another unpopular escalation and damage him further politically in advance of the midterms — yet he needs to respond to direct attacks on US troops,” a former White House official said.
“Anything that provides Trump a face-saving way to de-escalate is bad for the Iranian hardliners.”
The war only weeks ago appeared all-but over — with the reopening of the strait sending global oil prices dropping and dramatically reducing US inflation in June.
Trump tore up the MOU after the Iranian ship attacks saying that violence is the only language understood by Tehran’s theocracy — while leaving open the door to further peace talks.
Trump will attend the dignified transfer ceremony for the remains of some of the troops killed on Tuesday at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
“The President and the entire White House are praying for their families,” she wrote on social media.
Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19, was killed in action on Friday and 1st Lt. Tyler Feehan, 25, was killed the next day during an Iranian attack on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, which is located in Jordan and home to American forces in that country.
Dozens of American soldiers were wounded in the attacks on the base.
Both Washington and Tehran carried out a series of new attacks on Monday, with Iranian forces firing on Kuwait and Bahrain, which host American soldiers.
