President Donald Trump said Monday evening that any Iranian killing of a US soldier will be met with a severe response and a heavy price, and directed the US military to exact a high cost. He also reiterated that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not be arrested while visiting the US, accusing Iran of killing 52,000 innocent protesters.
President Donald Trump escalated his rhetoric against Iran Monday evening, ordering the US military to respond severely to any Iranian killing of American soldiers. According to a statement from Trump, he directed Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Daniel Kane, and all US commanders to ensure that Iran pays a 'high cost' for any attack on US personnel. The directive adds a military dimension to the president's earlier statements tonight.
The thread of Trump's statements unfolded rapidly. At 19:52 Jerusalem, The Zioneer first reported that Trump said Netanyahu would not be arrested in the US, citing Israeli media. Within minutes, Trump issued a formal statement accusing the Iranian regime of killing 52,000 protesters and explicitly guaranteeing Netanyahu's immunity from arrest. The source evolved from media reports to an official presidential statement. By 20:05 Jerusalem, The Zioneer had published a consolidated report. Now, at 20:13, Trump has issued a new directive threatening military retaliation.
These statements come amid a broader pattern of Trump's Iran policy. As The Zioneer reported on June 9, Trump said he expects clarity on Iran negotiations within 48 hours. On July 8, he said he does not see a nuclear deal in sight. The president has also previously stated that Netanyahu will follow his instructions (The Zioneer, June 9). The new directive appears to tie the US military's response directly to Iranian actions.
The exact trigger for the 'severe response' remains unspecified. The statement does not define what constitutes a killing of a US soldier by Iran, nor the scope of the military retaliation. The threat is conditional, leaving open whether it applies to all Iranian forces or only direct state actors.
7 developments
- StrongTrump: Only those who led Iran to 'unprecedented death spiral' should be arrested
- DevelopingTrump says Iranian regime killed 54,000 protesters, sees no deal in sight
- DevelopingTrump shares photo of Iranian killed by regime, calls him 'last victim' of 52,000
- DevelopingReporter challenges Trump on Iranian executions; president downplays scale
Source and signal
- Internal intake