President Donald Trump announced "major combat operations" against Iran on Feb. 28, with massive joint U.S.-Israeli strikes targeting military, government and infrastructure sites.
Delegations from the U.S. and Iran entered negotiations in June aimed at a war-ending deal based on a memorandum of understanding signed by both countries.
The U.S. and Iran have nonetheless continued to exchange strikes, with the strategic Strait of Hormuz the primary flashpoint.
In defense of war in Iran, Trump compares deaths in previous conflicts
President Donald Trump is comparing the number of American deaths in the Iran war so far with the number of causalities in prior American conflicts.
One day before he is expected to attend the dignified transfer for at least two Americans killed over the weekend, Trump took to social media to compare the number of Americans killed in his war so far:
"Afghanistan War: 20 years, 2,000 DEAD.
Iraq War: 9 years, 4,600 DEAD.
Vietnam War: 19 years and 5 months, 58,220 DEAD.
Korean War: 3 years and 1 month, 36,574 DEAD.
Venezuela War: 1 day, 0 DEAD.
Iran Military Conflict: 4 months, 18 DEAD," Trump wrote in a post on social media.
2 hours and 36 minutes ago
Senate Democrats accuse administration of misrepresenting casualties in Iran
Some Senate Democrats on Tuesday called out the Trump administration’s handling of the war in Iran, accusing them of misrepresenting the number of casualties and widening the war as the lawmakers demanded more transparency.
“The ceasefire collapsed. The war is escalating. American troops are paying the price. Iran knew it attacked our bases. The Pentagon knew our troops were wounded. The only people kept in the dark were the American people. That's not operational security. It's political protection for Donald Trump,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., sounded exasperated as he talked about Trump’s threats to escalate the war amid numerous troop casualties despite Congress voting to limit Trump’s war powers in the Middle East. Kaine said the administration needs to have an explanation as to why servicemembers were killed.
Senator Tim Kaine speaks following a policy luncheon at the U.S. Capitol, July 21, 2026 in Washington.
Finn Gomez/Getty Images
"You better have a really good answer for that question. And as of right now, this war of choice that Donald Trump started, he cannot answer that question. Congress has definitively declared both houses that this war is illegal. Only we in the Constitution have that power. The president is ignoring us, even though that declaration was made by two Republican majority houses,” Kaine said.
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., said he is not seeing enough transparency from the Trump administration regarding casualties and killing in action in the Middle East as a result of hostilities with Iran.
"Truth is first casualty of war, so we honestly have no idea what's going over there," Massie told ABC News. "I would trust some foreign news source or some satellite images from a commercial third party, more than I would our government.”
3 hours and 13 minutes ago
Hegseth estimates the war with Iran cost the US $37.5 billion
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told congressmembers on Capitol Hill that the war in Iran has cost the U.S. $37.5 billion so far.
Hegseth said this includes estimated costs through Sept. 30.
12:33 PM EDT
Many ship owners refusing to transit through alternate route after Houthi threats, shipping executive says
Even the threat of attacks by the Houthis is having an impact on ships transiting through the Bab el Mandeb route -- a strait in the Red Sea's southern gateway and one of the world's most important oil shipping routes for crude and fuel shipments moving between the Middle East, Europe and Asia -- according to a ship fleet company executive who has seven tankers in the region.
"There is no transit through the Strait of Hormuz. Also as of today the Bab el Mandeb transits into the Red Sea are also uncertain as Houthis have sent messages to many companies banning transit to Saudi ports," the executive told ABC News.
Vessels at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, July 21, 2026.
Reuters
"We deal with uncertainty on a daily basis but the level of uncertainty now is unprecedented. Especially for the seafarers this is a nightmare. This is a huge concern for the world because if the Bab el Mandeb closes while the Strait of Hormuz is closed oil will go to 150!" the executive said.
The executive said it is "too risky" to go through the Arabian Gulf, adding that the "Red Sea transit has become an unknown. No incidents as yet but clear threats and instructions from Houthis not to head to/from Saudi ports."
