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

_{Jul 21, 7:27 PM}

3rd soldier believed to have been killed in Jordan attack identified

The Pentagon has identified the third service member who is believed to have been killed in the attack on a Jordan air base last week.

"Sgt. Angel S. Rampersad, 28, of Ozone Park, New York, is believed to have been killed in action on July 17, 2026, during an enemy attack at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, Jordan," the Defense Department said in a statement. "The incident is under investigation. U.S. Central Command previously announced this Soldier as missing. The Soldier status was updated to a Duty Status–Whereabouts Unknown and is believed to be deceased."

Pfc. Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Carrollton, Texas, and 1st Lt. Tyler Feehan, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, were also killed in the attack on the base, the Defense Department previously announced.

_{Jul 21, 6:12 PM}

Kuwait says it's defending against drone attacks

Kuwait's army said its air defenses are intercepting Iranian drone attacks.

Iranian state media Fars said that the Ali Al Salem Base, which hosts U.S. troops, was targeted.

_{Jul 21, 5:03 PM}

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.

_{Jul 21, 4:32 PM}

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.

"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.”

_{Jul 21, 3:54 PM}

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.

_{Jul 21, 12:33 PM}

Many ship owners refusing to transit through alternate route after Houthi threats, shipping executive saysEven 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.

"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."

-ABC News' Desiree Adib

_{Jul 21, 11:55 AM}

Trump says Iran 'desperately' wants to meet for ceasefire talks amid new strikes

President Donald Trump insisted on Tuesday that Iran "desperately" wants to meet for ceasefire talks despite the U.S. and Iran exchanging limited strikes for over a week.

But, Trump maintained that the war is not yet over telling reporters at the White House, "We're not finished."

"We're not leaving," Trump said.

_{Jul 21, 11:43 AM}

Crew members in Kuwaiti tanker injured in Iranian attack

Multiple crew members were injured in Iranian strikes on a Kuwaiti tanker passing through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday evening, Kuwait’s foreign ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

The ministry said it had summoned Iran’s ambassador to Kuwait to protest the alleged attack.

"The State of Kuwait renewed its demand for Iran to immediately cease its illegitimate attacks, emphasizing Kuwait's reservation of its right to take necessary measures, and holding Iran fully responsible for this aggression and its ongoing assaults against the State of Kuwait," Kuwait's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement Tuesday.

_{Jul 21, 8:28 AM}

Pentagon names soldier killed in Iraq by downed Iranian drone

The Pentagon on Tuesday identified the soldier killed in Iraq over the weekend during the disposal of a downed Iranian one-way attack drone.

Army Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton, 30, of Fayetteville, North Carolina, died during the controlled detonation of the drone at Erbil Air Base, Iraq, the Pentagon said.

Swinton was assigned to D Battery, 2nd Battalion, 55th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 108th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

At least 17 U.S. troops have been killed since the U.S. and Israel launched attacks against Iran on Feb. 28, while some 500 others have been wounded, according to Defense Department figures and an updated casualty count provided by Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell on Monday.

One service member also remains missing following last week's attack in Jordan, where officials are still working to identify human remains recovered at the scene.

-ABC News' Steve Beynon

_{Jul 21, 7:40 AM}

Kuwait says Iranian attacks damaged power, desalination facilities

Several power generation and water desalination plants in Kuwait came under attack from Iran for the fourth consecutive day late on Monday, causing fires at a number of facilities, the Ministry of Electricity said in a statement.

Several generating units were taken offline as a precaution to protect equipment and maintain the stability of Kuwait's electricity and water systems, the statement said.

-ABC News' Ayat Altawy and Othon Leyva