Washington DC, July 20 -- US President Donald Trump on Monday doubled down on his administration's hardline stance in the ongoing conflict against Iran, issuing a public directive to his military leadership.

In a post on Truth Social, the President vowed stern retaliation from the US military to every Iranian attack.

"Every time Iran kills an American soldier, they will pay for that killing many times over! 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 said.

This escalation follows a dramatic surge in hostilities today as the US conducted a ninth consecutive day of airstrikes against Iranian targets.

Iranian state media de...