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United States vows retaliation against Iran after three soldiers killed
President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that Iran will “pay many times over” for each American soldier killed, directing the directive to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Daniel Caine. The statement followed the deaths of two U.S. service members in a Jordanian base and a third in Iraq during a controlled detonation of an Iranian‑made explosive, bringing the war‑time U.S. death toll to 17.
The United States has intensified air strikes on Iranian targets, including a nuclear construction site at Darkhovin and facilities in Bushehr, while Iran’s Revolutionary Guard warned it would block any oil or gas passage through the Strait of Hormuz if U.S. attacks continue. Reports indicate that, in the week before the latest strike, Iran also wounded dozens of U.S. personnel and damaged several helicopters, incidents the Pentagon has not publicly disclosed.
In response to the expanding conflict, the U.S. State Department issued a global travel advisory warning of an “unexpected escalation” in the Middle East, urging American citizens to exercise heightened caution.
The war, now in its second week, has involved attacks on U.S. bases in Jordan, Iraq, Bahrain and Kuwait, and has raised concerns about global energy markets due to threats against the Hormuz shipping lane.