US launches new strikes against Iran after Trump warns country will pay for deaths of American soldiers

US Marine Corps handout photograph taken on July 16, 2026, by US Central Command Public Affairs. SGT. JOSEPH HELMS / AFP US President Donald Trump warned Iran on Monday, July 20, that it would pay "many times over" for every American soldier killed, while Tehran's Yemeni allies, the Houthi rebels, threatened to broaden the war with a blockade of Saudi ports. Following the deaths of at least three US soldiers in the past several days, the United States launched a new round of strikes against Iran late Monday, the 10 th consecutive night of attacks. Read more Subscribers only Trump faces pressure to escalate in Iran after deaths of two US soldiers On Tuesday morning, Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they hit US military targets including air defense systems in Bahrain and Kuwait, state news agency IRNA reported. The Guards said they struck two air defense systems and a radar installation at two different US outposts in Bahrain, as well as missile defense systems and radars and satellite reception systems in Kuwait. Trump issued his latest warning to Tehran in a post on Truth Social after the confirmed deaths of three more US soldiers brought the total number of American fatalities in the war to 17. With the breakdown of the US-Iran ceasefire, nearly 100 US service members have been wounded since July 7, the Pentagon said on Monday, most with minor concussions. "Every time Iran kills an American Soldier, they will pay for that killing many times over!" Trump said. "This directive has been passed on to Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Daniel Caine, and every Leader in the Military." US Central Command said American forces launched a new round of strikes on Iran on Monday "designed to further degrade Iranian military capabilities used to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz." Read more Subscribers only Iran bets on war of attrition against the US As Trump ramped up his threats, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the conflict with the United States has entered a new phase. "The reality is that today the Islamic Republic of Iran is engaged in a full-scale war," Pezeshkian said. Red Sea threat Tehran's Yemeni allies, the Houthi rebels, meanwhile threatened a major broadening of the war, announcing they would blockade Saudi ports. Such a move by the Houthis would put at risk Riyadh's ability to bypass the flashpoint Strait of Hormuz for some of its oil exports and have major repercussions on the global economy. Saudi Arabia and the Houthis traded fire last week for the first time in years, threatening a 2022 truce, but the rebels have largely remained on the sidelines since Israel and the United States attacked Iran in late February. Saudi Arabia strongly condemned the threat from what it called the "terrorist Houthi militia" and said it "continues to support the brotherly Yemeni people and their legitimate government." The Middle East war resumed after an April ceasefire and a June framework deal collapsed. Tehran reimposed its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, and Washington hit back by again blockading Iran's ports. Le Monde with AFP