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Iran live updates: Hegseth estimates war with Iran cost the US $37.5 billion

Seventeen U.S. service members have been killed since the war in Iran began.

Last Updated: July 21, 2026, 6:13 PM EDT

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.

Jul 20, 2026, 7:07 AM EDT

Pentagon releases names of 2 service members killed in Jordan attack

The Pentagon on Monday identified two soldiers killed in Friday's Iranian missile and drone attack on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan.

Among them was Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Carrollton, Texas, the Pentagon said. Gonzales was assigned to 1st Battalion, 57th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 52nd Air Defense Artillery Brigade, 10th Army Air Missile Defense Command, Ansbach, Germany.

An undated photo of Pvt. Isabella Gonzales who died in an attack in Jordan.
US Army

1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, died on July 18, from wounds sustained in the attack the day before. Feehan was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 55th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 32nd Army Air Missile Defense Command, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, the Pentagon said.

An undated photo of First Lt. Tyler James Feehan who died in an attack in Jordan.
U.S. Army

A third U.S. service member remains missing following the attack. U.S. Central Command, which oversees troops in the Middle East, said human remains recovered at the scene are undergoing identification.

Separately, another U.S. service member was killed in Iraq on Saturday in an incident involving the disposal of a downed Iranian drone, according to CENTCOM.

The Pentagon typically withholds the identities of deceased troops until at least 24 hours after their next of kin have been notified.

-ABC News’ Steven Beynon

Jul 20, 2026, 5:56 AM EDT

UKMTO says ship on fire in Strait of Hormuz after attack

The U.K. Maritime Trade Operations Centre reported that a vessel was on fire in the southern route area of the Strait of Hormuz on Monday morning, near Oman's coast.

The vessel "was struck by an unknown projectile," the UKMTO said in its report. "The crew safely abandoned the vessel and have been recovered by a tug boat. The fire has not been extinguished and the vessel is currently adrift. There is no reported environmental impact."

-ABC News' Victoria Beaule

Jul 20, 2026, 5:12 AM EDT

US will 'face the consequences' of any Kharg Island operation, Iran official says

The U.S. will "face the consequences" if it launches any ground operation to seize Iran's Kharg Island, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday, during his weekly press conference.

Asked about President Donald Trump's threats to seize the strategically-located island in the northern Persian Gulf, Baghaei said there are people in Iran who are "counting down the minutes to welcome" U.S. forces.

Baghaei told reporters that Iran's implementation of the memorandum of understanding with the U.S. "became practically impossible" as a result of the recent resumption in fighting.

Asked whether the MOU was now void, Baghaei said, "An understanding or agreement has value and validity as long as its parties adhere to their obligations; otherwise, it will be nothing more than a document on paper."

This satellite image shows an oil terminal on Kharg Island, Iran, on February 25, 2026.
2026 Planet Labs Pbc/via Reuters

"This agreement was formed on the basis of mutual obligations, and with its violation by the United States, its implementation by Iran became practically impossible," Baghaei added.

Asked about Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying on Sunday that the U.S. was open to diplomacy with Iran, Baghaei said Iran does not believe the U.S. is negotiating in good faith.

"When the US talks about diplomacy, it means imposition, intimidation, threats and sanctions, and certainly as long as they are in this space and seek to impose their demands on the Iranian nation, our response will definitely be to defend Iran's dignity and national sovereignty," Baghaei said.

"The guarantee of implementing any treaty and agreement is the power of the parties, and we are determined to make this tool more powerful day by day," he added.

Baghaei also repeated Tehran's long-time assertion that Iran is "determined to take the necessary measures to exercise our sovereignty and to ensure that the Strait of Hormuz is not abused to harm our interests."

-ABC News' Victoria Beaule

Jul 20, 2026, 4:32 AM EDT

Iran FM says war must end when Tehran has 'upper hand'

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told the IRNA state news agency in an interview on Monday that the war with the U.S. "must be ended exactly at the point where you have the upper hand in the field."

"The end of the war is possible either through absolute military victory or through negotiations," Araghchi said.

"The right time to negotiate is precisely when you have achieved a reliable field and strategic achievement on the military front," he added. "A politician must always ask this fundamental question: will continuing the war increase the achievements or the losses?"

-ABC News' Victoria Beaule

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