Trump warns Iran will pay ‘many times over’ for deaths of U.S. soldiers

WASHINGTON (Garowe Online) — U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran will “pay” for the deaths of American service members after several U.S. troops were killed in attacks over the weekend, warning Tehran of a strong response.

“Every time Iran kills an American Soldier they will pay for that killing many times over!” Trump said Monday in a post on social media. He added that the directive had been passed to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Daniel Caine, and other senior military leaders.

Trump’s warning came hours after the United States launched its ninth consecutive night of airstrikes against Iran. The Pentagon confirmed that a U.S. service member was killed in Iraq during a “controlled detonation” operation involving a downed Iranian drone.

The U.S. military also identified two soldiers killed in Jordan on Friday while defending against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks.

The number of U.S. troops killed in the ongoing conflict has now reached 17, while nearly 430 others have been injured since the U.S.-Israel war with Iran began five months ago.

As the conflict entered its second week, the United States expanded its strikes on Iran, targeting bridges, electrical facilities and other strategic sites. Iran, meanwhile, retaliated Monday with attacks on U.S. allies Kuwait and Bahrain, where American forces are stationed, including the headquarters of the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet.

The White House said Trump would attend dignified transfer ceremonies at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware for the fallen service members.

In recent weeks, Trump has threatened to expand U.S. targets in Iran to include energy facilities, bridges, the country’s Kharg Island oil hub and a deep underground nuclear-related site.

Sources said the latest waves of U.S. strikes are also aimed at weakening Iranian military capabilities that Washington would seek to eliminate before any potential larger-scale operations.

The escalating conflict and its financial costs are expected to dominate a U.S. congressional hearing Tuesday, where Hegseth and Gen. Caine are scheduled to testify.

GAROWE ONLINE