U.S. President Donald Trump has warned that Iran will face a “much greater price” if any more American service members are killed amid the escalating tensions in the Middle East.
In a post on Truth Social on Monday (20 July), Trump wrote:
“Whenever Iran kills an American soldier, they will pay many times the price for that act.”
He said he had already instructed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Daniel Caine, and senior military commanders to take the necessary measures.
Meanwhile, Pakistan and Qatar have jointly proposed a new initiative aimed at reducing tensions between Washington and Tehran. According to Pakistani government sources cited by Anadolu, both countries have urged the United States and Iran to return to the status quo that existed before 9 July to reopen diplomatic negotiations.
The proposal reportedly calls for:
Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
The United States to lift its blockade of Iranian ports.
Washington to remove sanctions on Iranian oil exports.
A two-week ceasefire to allow suspended negotiations to resume, with potential talks to be held in Islamabad or Doha.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has meanwhile stated that Iran is currently engaged in a “full-scale war” with the United States and urged the Iranian people to prepare for the consequences of the ongoing conflict.
He also claimed that none of the 14 articles of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding compromised Iran’s rights, national interests, or revolutionary principles, arguing that the agreement largely favored Tehran.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf criticized Washington, saying the United States was calling for peace while simultaneously deploying additional military assets to the Middle East. He said Iran remained fully aware of what he described as Washington’s strategy.
The Pentagon announced that two U.S. service members were killed in an Iranian attack in Jordan last Friday. The casualties were identified as Lieutenant Tyler James Feehan (25) and Private Isabella Gonzalez (19), who were serving as part of the U.S.-led mission against the Islamic State (ISIS).
According to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), the two soldiers were killed while responding to an Iranian ballistic missile and drone attack targeting U.S. forces in Jordan. Their deaths bring the total number of American military personnel killed in the current confrontation involving Iran to 17.
Security analysts warn that although U.S. forces are not directly deployed inside Iran, their widespread presence across the Middle East leaves them exposed to significant risks as the conflict continues to escalate.
