Trump vows Iran will ‘pay’ for killing US soldiers

What the report says

Al Jazeera, citing its staff, AP and Reuters, reported that US President Donald Trump warned Iran would “pay” after multiple American service members were killed in the region. The outlet said Trump posted on Monday, July 20, 2026, that Iran would face consequences “many times over” for each US soldier killed, and that instructions had been relayed to senior military leaders, including Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Daniel Caine.

According to the report, the warning followed a ninth consecutive night of US air strikes on Iran. Al Jazeera said one US service member was killed in Iraq during the controlled detonation of a downed Iranian drone, while two soldiers killed Friday in Jordan were identified by the US military after attacks involving Iranian ballistic missiles and drones. The article reported that 17 US troops have died and about 430 have been injured since the start of what it described as a five-month US-Israel war on Iran.

The outlet reported that recent exchanges have included US strikes on Iranian bridges and electrical facilities, while Iran retaliated Monday with attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain, both US partners; Bahrain hosts the US Navy’s 5th Fleet. Al Jazeera also said the White House announced Trump would attend dignified transfer ceremonies at Dover Air Force Base for the dead service members.

The specific content of Trump’s reported military directive was not clear. Reuters, cited by Al Jazeera, reported that the US had already been moving additional aircraft, including fighters and refuelling tankers, to the Middle East before the Jordan attack. The conflict’s cost and conduct were expected to be discussed at a congressional hearing with Hegseth and Caine.