President Donald Trump said US strikes on Iran “very hard” and described the latest attacks as being carried out “in honour” of three American service members killed in recent days. Two were killed in Jordan and one in Iraq.

In the early hours of Monday local time, US Central Command (Centcom) said it had launched a “new wave” of strikes for the ninth consecutive night. Explosions were reported across Iran as the operation continued.

Ninth night of US strikes

The United States said it targeted military sites and communications networks to “further diminish” what it described as Tehran’s attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian state and semi-official media reported widespread impacts, including hits in Tabriz, Chabahar, Konarak, Bandar Mahshahr and Bandar Imam Khomeini, according to Tasnim.

US officials said the strikes were aimed at reducing Iranian capabilities rather than at supporting any immediate ceasefire.

Iran reports Syria attack and drone incidents

Iran said it had carried out a “surprise attack” in Syria and targeted US aircraft at Jordan’s Aqaba airport, according to Iranian reports.

Elsewhere in the region, Kuwait’s armed forces said they intercepted Iranian drones, without giving further details.

On the question of damage to shipping, Iranian state media reported that two oil tankers had exploded while trying to cross the strait. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said the vessels were travelling via what it called an “unsafe and hazardous southern route” and that they “exploded and were brought to a halt”. Centcom disputed the IRGC’s claims.

The IRGC also said the Strait of Hormuz would not be safe for the transit of petrochemical products, adding that it would not allow “even a single drop of oil and gas” to pass while US strikes continue. It said it would respond with a “punitive operation”.

US deaths and diplomatic talks

Over the weekend, the US confirmed a service member was killed following an Iranian attack in northern Iraq on Saturday.

The death came the day after an attack on a base in Jordan killed two US soldiers and left another missing. The US said “unidentified remains” had been found and that verification was continuing.

As strikes continued between the US and Iran over the weekend, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States “always remains open to a diplomatic solution”.

Rubio also warned that “the world has to decide whether or not it’s going to allow an international waterway to be under the control” of Iran. He said Tehran was using the shipping route as leverage.

His remarks came as a preliminary deal agreed in mid-June to stop fighting appeared to be unravelling. Negotiations for a permanent arrangement had made little progress after Trump declared the accord “over” on 8 July.

The latest exchange of strikes and statements has heightened tensions around shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, which remains a key passage for international trade.

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20 July 2026

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Twisted and morbid way of honouring the fallen by more killings rather than honouring them by returning the soldiers safely back home.

He better order more Body bags. A dozen have been filled already. Since when has a soldier been classed as killed in Action when he wasn't killed in Action they were in there Facility not fighting on the front line.

He is a blight on the world.

The Circus clown could not care one iota for these fallen soldiers, nor the sorrow that their families are experiencing as a result of his ridiculous war of choice. Beautiful Iranians have already beaten America the humiliation is added astonishing level at this point and they've managed to Hummel the largest military in the world near total submission.

Hire a Boy Scout Troop leader to become SEC DEF, and you end up with a result like this. Go a step further and use very low end negotiators like Kushner and Witkoff, and the negotiations are bound to fail.

If this is demonstrating anything it's that the US was ill prepared and Trump is the worst war president in memory. Trump makes Bush Jr. look like General Eisenhower.

Edited July 21Jul 21 by spidermike007

Fallen for what? Trump's lame excuses for war change day to day, hour by hour. Those lives do not matter to him. His attitude seems to be "Look what I can do"

Well as I’ve said before you good American citizens elected him. Ultimately it is on you anything bad happens to your people and rest of the world.

18 hours ago, webfact said:

latest attacks as being carried out “in honour” of three American service members killed in recent days.

I'm sure those service members do not find honour after being killed.

"honour"? - In 2020, The Atlantic cited four anonymous sources claiming Trump canceled the 2018 cemetery visit because it was "filled with losers" and called the U.S. Marines buried at Belleau Wood "suckers" for getting killed. https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2020/09/

Versus: Donald Trump avoided the military draft five times during the Vietnam War.

4 hours ago, Srikcir said:

I'm sure those service members do not find honour after being killed.

"honour"? - In 2020, The Atlantic cited four anonymous sources claiming Trump canceled the 2018 cemetery visit because it was "filled with losers" and called the U.S. Marines buried at Belleau Wood "suckers" for getting killed. https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2020/09/

Versus: Donald Trump avoided the military draft five times during the Vietnam War.

It is very likely that the vast majority of both active soldiers and veterans despise both Trump and Little Petie. Both are absolute cowards who are doing everything in their power to try to mask their self-loathing with major, juvenile chest thumping.

Unappealing, unattractive, idiotic, incompetent, hateful, hurtful, abrasive, rude, blowhard, liar, cheater, thief, infantile, failure, loser, fraud, sexual abuser, incestuous, tax cheat, insurrectionist, un-American, dictator-loving dictator wannabe, out of control, sociopathic, convicted felon, toxic narcissist & brutish A-hole.

I think that one of the aspects that kind of solves the riddle of Trump, is his toxic mind and consciousness. I truly believe that within that inner cauldron that some would refer to as his mind exists a state of bitterness, hatred, disillusionment, racism, utter nastiness, the pathological desire for revenge against any orecrovrd slight, an incredible lack of fulfillment, loneliness and true despair. Of course much of that is masked by his bluster and his bragadachio, but we all know where that comes from.

Everything about the con-man referred to as Trump is unlikeable. He's everything wrong with the human animal, all stuffed into one specimen.

Anytime Trump is not considered to be the greatest human on earth he gets offended his skin is thinner than tissue paper and that's very unbecoming for a man in his position. It says a lot about his extraordinary lack of self-esteem, masked by alot of bluster. Nobody who feels good about themselves, nobody who has any kind of self esteem, or self love, needs to constantly refer to themselves as being the best, the greatest, the brightest, and the hugest.