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United States President Donald Trump said Monday that Iran would pay "many times over" for any American troops killed amid ongoing hostilities in the Middle East.
"Every time Iran kills an American Soldier they will pay for that killing many times over," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
"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," he added.
The statement came as the United States continued to carry out airstrikes against Iran, with the attacks largely focused on southern Iran.
Tehran has retaliated with strikes targeting facilities and bases that it says are used by the U.S. military in several regional countries.
The Pentagon has confirmed three U.S. deaths over the weekend, including two at a military base in Jordan and one in northern Iraq.
The exchange of fire between the two countries comes despite a Pakistan-brokered memorandum of understanding signed in June to end the war and reach a lasting peace agreement.
Last week, Trump was briefed in the Situation Room on potential strategies to escalate the conflict.
Among the options under consideration were an operation to seize Kharg Island, a major Iranian oil export terminal, and airstrikes targeting Iran's nuclear facilities at Pickaxe Mountain.
At the same time, Trump has not dismissed the possibility of a diplomatic resolution.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said overnight that the opportunity to resume negotiations remained available, indicating that diplomacy was still being considered.
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