Trump hints at strong military retaliation against Iran.
On July 20, Xinhua News Agency reported from Washington (reporters Huang Qiang and Xu Jianmei) that U.S. President Trump posted on social media, suggesting that the U.S. military would launch a strong retaliatory action against Iran following recent casualties among its personnel.
Trump threatened, stating, "Iran will pay a multiple price for every American soldier they kill," and this directive has been communicated to U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, among others.
The U.S. Central Command confirmed on the 18th that two U.S. military personnel were killed on the 17th in Jordan due to attacks from Iranian ballistic missiles and drones, with another person reported missing. The following day, the U.S. military announced that one service member was killed on the 18th in northern Iraq while attempting to detonate a downed Iranian drone.
Additionally, CNN reported, citing a U.S. official, that the U.S. military plans to reinforce its European bases with F-16 and F-35 fighter jets, as well as additional aerial refueling aircraft.
However, the Trump administration has not completely ruled out the possibility of seeking a diplomatic solution. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated in a media interview on the evening of the 19th that the Trump administration "remains open to diplomatic solutions." He also mentioned that Iran is still sending signals to the U.S., "either directly or through various channels from other countries," indicating "they want dialogue and wish to negotiate."
On the 14th, Trump held a meeting in the White House Situation Room to discuss plans for a large-scale offensive against Iran, stating, "The scale will be broader than the current operations around the Strait of Hormuz." In a media interview before the meeting, he said that U.S. military strikes against Iran would continue until "I say enough." Unless Iran returns to the negotiating table, the U.S. military will strike its bridges and power plants next week. He also did not rule out the possibility of sending ground troops to Iran.
U.S. President Trump threatened Iran with severe retaliation following the deaths of two U.S. personnel in Jordan due to Iranian missile and drone attacks. An additional U.S. service member was killed in Iraq during an incident involving an Iranian drone. The U.S. military is planning to deploy more F-16 and F-35 aircraft from Europe as part of its response. Despite these military actions, the U.S. government is still considering diplomatic solutions.
- Trump threatened Iran with severe consequences for U.S. military casualties.
- Two U.S. personnel were killed in Jordan by Iranian missile and drone attacks.
- One additional U.S. service member died in Iraq from an incident involving an Iranian drone.
- The U.S. plans to deploy additional F-16 and F-35 aircraft from Europe.
- The U.S. government remains open to diplomatic solutions despite military preparations.