Middle East latest: Donald Trump warns Iran ‘will pay’ for slain US troops Tyler Freehan and Isabella Gonzales
Donald Trump issued a stern warning to Iran after two US soldiers were killed in a missile and drone attack on a military base in Jordan.
The Pentagon identified the soldiers who died Monday local time as Lieutenant Tyler James Freehan, 25, from Hawaii and Private Isabella Gonzales, 19, from Texas.
The couple was killed during attacks on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base on Friday while supporting the US mission against the Islamic State group.
Their deaths were the first confirmed U.S. military deaths resulting from direct Iranian fire since the start of the latest conflict, bringing the total number of American soldiers killed during the war to 17.
In a post announcing the deaths of the two soldiers, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said a third soldier was missing while investigators examined unidentified remains recovered from the attack site.
“After an extensive search, US military personnel found unidentified remains at the site earlier today. Examination is ongoing to confirm the remains,” a post on X said.
Reacting to the attack, the US President promised a strong response.
“Every time Ian kills an American soldier, they will pay for that murder many times over,” Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“This directive was forwarded to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Daniel Cain, and all Leaders in the Army.”
The warning comes at a time when the United States and Iran are engaged in serious military tensions over control of the Strait of Hormuz.
On Monday afternoon local time, CENTCOM announced that Iran had launched another wave of attacks to “weaken its military capabilities.”
He wrote to Commander
“The attacks are designed to further weaken the military capabilities Iran uses to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.”
Meanwhile, Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have declared a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia.
This move, which could threaten international energy supply, came after the ceasefire agreement established between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia in 2022 collapsed in recent weeks.
