{"id":2632736,"date":"2026-07-20T15:01:02","date_gmt":"2026-07-20T19:01:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-vows-iran-will-pay-for-killing-us-troops-what-comes-next\/"},"modified":"2026-07-20T15:05:44","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T19:05:44","slug":"trump-vows-iran-will-pay-for-killing-us-troops-what-comes-next","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-vows-iran-will-pay-for-killing-us-troops-what-comes-next\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump vows Iran will \u2018pay\u2019 for killing US troops. What comes next?"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ftrump-vows-iran-will-pay-for-killing-us-troops-what-comes-next%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2632736&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Iran&#8217;s recent actions, including the killing of three U.S. service members, have substantially heightened tensions, prompting president Donald Trump to confront the possibility of escalating military responses or expanding the conflict. The casualties, which bring the total U.S. military deaths during the war to 17, occurred at an airbase in Jordan and Iraq after Iranian attacks. Trump vowed that Iran would face repercussions for these actions, emphasizing a pattern of retaliation and stressing that the U.S. had already launched aggressive strikes against Iranian targets without shifting its overall strategy. The U.S. has intensified its military presence in the region, including Seizing vessels and reinforcing forces with additional aircraft, and is considering strategic options such as targeting Iran\u2019s oil export facilities. Former officials suggest that while pressure continues, a full-scale invasion isn&#8217;t imminent, with some experts warning that further escalation could backfire and worsen the situation. Meanwhile, there are calls for diplomatic negotiations, proposing that the U.S. recognize Iran\u2019s regional advantages or step back and let the international community handle the fallout. Some analysts advise that leadership changes in negotiations and strategic reassessment could help move towards a resolution,highlighting the ongoing complexity of U.S.-Iran relations amidst heightened military tensions.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/iran\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"100\">Iran\u2019s<\/a> killing of three additional U.S. service members has crossed a red line President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"4\">Donald Trump<\/a> has repeatedly drawn, forcing him to decide whether to escalate the existing campaign or take the far riskier step of expanding the conflict.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Over the weekend, first Lt. Tyler James Feehan of Hawaii and Pvt. Isabella Gonzales of Texas were killed in an Iranian attack on America\u2019s Muwaffaq Salit Air Base in Jordan. A third service member was killed in Iraq by the \u201ccontrolled detonation\u201d of an Iranian drone. The latest casualties increase the total number of U.S. service members killed in action during the war to 17.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4655567\/trump-vows-iran-pay-killing-us-troops-what-comes-next\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Trump vows Iran will \u2018pay\u2019 for killing US troops. What comes next?<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4655503\/trump-rejects-mamdani-arrest-netanyahu-new-york-un-visit\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Trump rejects suggestion that Mamdani could arrest Netanyahu during UN visit<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4655354\/burnham-invites-trump-manchester-first-call-prime-minister\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Burnham invites Trump to Manchester in first call as prime minister<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Trump vowed on Monday that Tehran would face an overwhelming response for the casualties.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEvery time Iran kills an American Soldier they will pay for that killing many times over,\u201d the president wrote on Truth social, adding that he had passed that directive \u201con to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Daniel Caine, and every Leader in the Military.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Trump said Sunday\u2019s strikes against Iranian targets were intended to honor the fallen service members, but they did not appear to represent a shift in U.S. strategy. The U.S. has bombed Iran for nine consecutive days following the collapse of peace talks earlier this month. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The administration, however, has steadily expanded its pressure campaign and kept its options open. U.S. Central Command said Monday that it had redirected seven commercial vessels and boarded and seized another to prevent ships from entering or leaving Iranian ports. The Pentagon is also reportedly reinforcing the region with additional F-16s from Germany, F-35s from the United Kingdom, and aerial refueling aircraft, according to the <em>New York Times<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Trump has also reportedly reviewed military options that include seizing Kharg Island, Iran\u2019s primary oil export terminal near the Strait of Hormuz, or other strategic targets. Yet despite the increasingly aggressive military campaign, former Trump administration officials remain skeptical that the president is preparing for a large-scale ground invasion.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI could, maybe, see the U.S. seizing Kharg Island to put even more pressure on Tehran, but we don\u2019t need to go full force to seize the enriched uranium,\u201d one former official told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. \u201cThat\u2019s already inaccessible thanks to Operation Midnight Hammer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A second former Trump White House official told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> that \u201cthe president has always felt that he\u2019s been in the driver\u2019s seat, despite letting others whom he trusts take the wheel from time to time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI think he thinks Iran fears him most, and therefore he\u2019s going to be more invested in this new escalation,\u201d the person suggested. \u201cI think the war has gone on long enough that the trial and error period is over, and they feel pretty good about where they\u2019re at today in terms of hitting Iran hard and finishing the job.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not everyone agrees that additional military pressure will produce a better outcome.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jennifer Kavanagh, the director of military analysis for Defense Priorities, claimed the conflict has already become a strategic setback for Washington and warned that expanding it further would only increase the costs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMore bombing cannot take away Iran\u2019s geographic advantages or eliminate its ability to strike ships passing through the maritime chokepoint,\u201d she said. \u201cIt also will not convince Iran\u2019s new leadership to back down from what they see as an existential war,\u201d she continued.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kavanagh claimed that Trump has only \u201ctwo viable options\u201d at his disposal, both of which are preferable to escalating the fighting and endangering more American soldiers: \u201cMake a deal that recognizes that the balance of power in the region has shifted in Iran\u2019s favor, or he can walk away and let the region and the international community manage the war\u2019s fallout.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite the expanding military campaign, Trump has continued to suggest the door to diplomacy remains open.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kian Tajbakhsh, an Iranian American scholar previously imprisoned in Iran, told the <em>Washington Examiner <\/em>that if the administration wants negotiations to succeed, it should overhaul the team leading talks with Tehran.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-26\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-5\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Vice President JD \u201cVance should not go anywhere near the Iranians. He is way over his head. He is out of his depth,\u201d he said. \u201cPut Rubio in charge. \u2026 It\u2019s Rubio who has made the argument that this is about the freedom of navigation as the arteries of world commerce on which American national interest relies.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4646825\/trump-iran-war-return-position-of-strength\/\"><strong>TRUMP RETURNS TO WAR WITH IRAN FROM \u2018POSITION OF STRENGTH\u2019<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shirvin Zeinalzadeh, an expert in Iran at Arizona State University\u2019s School of Politics and Global Studies, said the renewed fighting with Iran provided Trump an opportunity to make his case directly to the people about what comes next.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe\u2019re all feeling the pinch, and this is an ideal time now for the president to say, \u2018This is the reality. This is what we\u2019ve been saying, but this is where we actually stand now,\u2019 rather than just repeating what we\u2019ve heard before,\u201d Zeinalzadeh said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Iran\u2019s attack kills 3 more U.S. troops, testing Trump\u2019s limits<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2632737,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP26201052606771.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[3823,3634,34676],"class_list":["post-2632736","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-iran","tag-trump","tag-us-troops"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP26201052606771.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2632736","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2632736"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2632736\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2632740,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2632736\/revisions\/2632740"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2632737"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2632736"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2632736"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2632736"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}