Trump Orders CENTCOM to “Open the Gates of Hell” on Iran After US Troops Killed

Trump directs Central Command to widen airstrikes on Iran after two American service members die in missile and drone attacks on US forces in Jordan.

First Published: July 23, 2026, 8:11 AM ETUpdates (2): July 23, 2026, 8:11 AM ET

WASHINGTON D.C. — Donald J. Trump ordered US Central Command to widen its strikes on Iran after two American service members died defending US forces in Jordan.

Trump’s directive, which officials described as an instruction to “open the gates of hell,” preceded fresh airstrikes that officials called far larger than earlier rounds, according to meaww.com. The Pentagon confirmed the two deaths and reported a third service member missing after Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks.

“The strikes are designed to further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and swiftly punish Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces who launched attacks against American service members in Jordan last night,” US Central Command said in a statement, according to meaww.com.

The escalation deepens a direct confrontation between the United States and Iran, the most populous nation on the Persian Gulf, after a fragile ceasefire collapsed and both sides reimposed blockades across the region.

Here is the full post on truthsocial: “Trump orders CENTCOM to “open the gates of hell” after US troops killed, launches strikes on Iran” on July 22, 2026 at 12:51 PM ET.

President Donald J. Trump posed at WASHINGTON D.C.

This is one message released by Trump today. On average, Trump produces about 4 posts per day since his inauguration on January 20, 2025.

The move fits a broader pattern in Trump’s recent messaging, with 65 of his 484 posts over the last 30 days focused on foreign policy.

Trump instructed CENTCOM to intensify operations against Iran after the attack that killed American personnel, according to meaww.com. Another US official said the latest operation would be “much more extensive and larger than previous nights,” according to meaww.com. US Central Command later confirmed a new round of airstrikes at the president’s direction, marking more than a week of continuous military action against Iranian targets.

Iranian missile and drone strikes targeting Muwaffaq Salti Air Base and other US facilities in Jordan triggered the response, according to sundayguardianlive.com. The strikes killed the service members, left one missing, injured dozens more and damaged military assets, according to sundayguardianlive.com. Officials said they would withhold the identities of the dead until families had learned the news.

47th President of the United States Donald J. Trump's social media post is displayed on Truth Social in Washington D.C.

The stakes now extend beyond the battlefield to global energy and shipping markets. Washington reimposed its blockade of Iranian ports while Tehran declared the Strait of Hormuz closed, according to meaww.com. The strait carries a large share of the world’s seaborne oil, and any sustained disruption threatens fuel prices for consumers far from the conflict. American drivers could feel the effect at the pump if crude shipments through the waterway stall.

The fighting escalated after an earlier ceasefire unraveled. Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said in a written statement that America’s “repeated breaches” of the agreement had shown that the “signature of the US President is utterly worthless and devoid of credibility,” according to meaww.com. He warned that Iran and its allies had “unforgettable lessons in store” for the United States, according to meaww.com.

This kind of direct US-Iran combat has happened before, though rarely at this intensity. The two countries clashed at sea during the 1980s Tanker War and traded blows after a 2020 drone strike killed a top Iranian commander. The current campaign, which officials described as an eleventh consecutive night of strikes, exceeds those earlier exchanges in scale, according to sundayguardianlive.com.

The next decisions rest with Trump, the Pentagon and CENTCOM commanders directing the campaign. US officials have not indicated how long the current military campaign will continue, and no date for a halt or a resumed negotiation has been announced, according to meaww.com.

The Strait of Hormuz has drawn foreign warships into conflict for centuries. British and Portuguese fleets fought Persian and Arab forces for control of nearby Hormuz Island in 1622, when an Anglo-Persian force seized the Portuguese fortress after a siege that lasted weeks. The Portuguese, who had held the island for more than a century, never recovered their dominance of the Gulf trade routes.