Donald Trump declared that the latest wave of attacks on Iran was carried out to "honor" three American soldiers who died, while Tehran responded by attacking U.S. assets in Syria and Jordan.
On 20 Jul 2026 GMT+7, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that the recent U.S. strikes heavily targeted Iran, adding that these attacks were meant to "honor" three American soldiers who died while on duty in recent days—two in Jordan and one in Iraq.
Trump warned, "Every time Iran kills an American soldier, they will have to pay back many times over for that killing."
The U.S. Central Command (Centcom) said that the military strikes, continuing for the ninth consecutive night as of Sunday, targeted military bases and communication networks to "reduce Iran's capability" to attack cargo ships in the Strait of Hormuz, with reports of loud explosions heard across Iran.
Iran stated that its forces retaliated with "unexpected" attacks in Syria and targeted U.S. aircraft at Aqaba Airport in Jordan, while Kuwait reported it successfully intercepted an Iranian drone attack.
The semi-official Iranian news agency Tasnim reported that several cities were attacked, including Tabriz, Chabahar, Konarak, Bandar Mahshahr, and Bandar Imam Khomeini.
Iranian media also claimed that two oil tankers exploded while attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said the two oil tankers were traveling through the southern route of the strait, which Iran describes as an "unsafe and dangerous" path, causing the ships to "explode and become incapacitated." However, the U.S. Central Command denied these claims.
The IRGC emphasized that the strait "will not be safe for transporting petrochemical products or even a single drop of oil and gas" as long as U.S. attacks continue, stating they will respond with "punitive operations."
Meanwhile, tensions in the Middle East escalated further after the U.S. military reported over the weekend that two American soldiers died from Iranian attacks in Jordan on Friday (17 Jul), and a third soldier was declared missing, with officials finding "unidentified body parts" during the search.
The U.S. confirmed another military personnel died while detonating an Iranian suicide drone that had been shot down in Iran.
.bbc