NPR News: 07-22-2026 12PM EDT

Lakshmi Singh· Host0:01

Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh. Today, President Trump carries out one of his most somber duties as commander-in-chief. He is attending the dignified transfer of four U.S. service members killed in action in the U.S. war with Iran. Before leaving Joint Base Andrews for Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, Trump told reporters he was about to carry out one of the hardest duties of his presidency.

Donald Trump· Soundbite0:27

All I'm gonna say is we love you. We love your child, and that's what they are to them. They're their children. Uh, there's no games, no nothing. That's their child. And, uh, all you can do is throw out your heart.

Lakshmi Singh· Host0:41

Since the U.S. and Israel went to war with Iran in late February, at least 18 American troops have been killed. The Iranian government says it has lost thousands of its citizens, many of them civilians. Trump is ramping up threats on Iran. In a p-post on social media, he said the U.S. would destroy bridges and power plants if Iran shoots at ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Here's NPR's Deepa Shivaram.

Deepa Shivaram1:06

Attacking civilian infrastructure could constitute a war crime, but Trump says from now onward, if Iran fires missiles, rockets, drones, or any other weapons at ships in the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. would respond by bombing one bridge or power plant. He added that those could include ones located in or near Iran's capital city, Tehran. The escalation comes as Trump has said he has no