[Anchor]

U.S. President Donald Trump has warned that Iran will pay a price many times over for every U.S. soldier killed. Iran has characterized the conflict with the United States as an all-out war.

Here is a report from Washington correspondent Lee Hanseok.

[Reporter]

U.S. President Trump issued an unprecedented warning to Iran via his social media.

He stated that for every U.S. soldier killed by Iran, the country will pay a price many times over, adding that he has personally issued firm, hardline directives to the Department of Defense and military leadership.

On July 17, two U.S. soldiers stationed in Jordan were killed in an Iranian missile and drone attack. The following day, an additional U.S. soldier died in Iraq while attempting to detonate an unexploded Iranian drone.

Following the first combat deaths since the ceasefire, the U.S. military has intensified its strikes against Iran.

The U.S. Central Command has conducted precision nighttime airstrikes against Iran for ten consecutive days.

Iran has also retaliated by striking areas surrounding U.S. military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has defined the armed conflict with the U.S. as an all-out war, emphasizing a resolve to fight to the end.

As the situation nears a breaking point, signs of a potential resumption of dialogue have emerged.

Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni arrived in Pakistan, a mediating nation, today (July 21).

While the Iranian Foreign Ministry stated that the visit would focus on bilateral issues between Iran and Pakistan, it also acknowledged receiving proposals from mediating countries, including Qatar, aimed at de-escalating tensions with the U.S.

Reuters reported, citing an anonymous senior Iranian official, that mediating countries have presented a proposal for a ten-day ceasefire between Iran and the U.S.

The White House maintains that it will not abandon the path to dialogue, but it remains unclear whether this mediation proposal will serve as a dramatic breakthrough as the armed conflict between the U.S. and Iran continues to intensify.

(Video reporting: Oh Jung-sik | Video editing: Chae Chul-ho)