Iran declares full-scale war with the US - as Trump's latest strikes are set to intensify

Published: 22:29, 20 July 2026 | Updated: 22:29, 20 July 2026 Iran insists it is now fighting a 'full-scale war' with the US – as Donald Trump said his latest strikes were 'in honour' of troops killed in action. American commanders confirmed a 'new wave' of strikes on a ninth consecutive night of bombing on Monday. Several Iranian cities were hit, according to state media. With an additional fleet of F-16 jets being sent to the Middle East from bases in Europe, US attacks are expected to intensify, in a strategy christened 'escalate to de-escalate' by defence sources. It comes after Mr Trump said strikes on Saturday hit Iran 'very hard' and were 'in honour of the three great patriots' who were killed over the weekend. But Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian said: 'The reality is that the Islamic Republic of Iran is engaged in a full-scale war.' Two of the three soldiers who died were named as Lieutenant Tyler James Feehan, 25, and Private Isabella Gonzales, 19. It is not clear how they were killed. The casualties bring the number of US deaths in the conflict to 17. The US targeted Iran for a ninth consecutive night of strikes. Pictured: Images of strikes on Iran published by US Central Command on Sunday A Tehran billboard depicted US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with the caption: 'You will drown in the sea of the Iranian nation's revenge' Lieutenant Tyler James Feehan, 25, and Private Isabella Gonzales, 19, were killed over the weekend by Iranian strikes After attending the World Cup final on Sunday, Mr Trump was interviewed at a US military base in Maryland, where he said: 'Iran has been very badly damaged. They've lost everything almost, militarily.' But an American official warned the US does not have enough missiles to deal with the 'full-scale' conflict threatened by Iran. 'I don't think the White House is aware of that,' they told The Washington Post. Meanwhile, the war extended to Iran's neighbours in the Middle East, with Kuwait said to have intercepted missiles heading for the US's Ali Al-Salem base. Jordan, also home to US bases, said Iranian warheads entered its airspace. Oil tankers were reportedly struck in the Strait of Hormuz, though these claims were disputed. Last month, the US and Iran signed a Memorandum of Understanding intended to end the war, but its terms were breached within days.