Skip next section What you need to know
What you need to know
- Donald Trump says US will hit Iran ‘very hard’
- Drone hits storage tanker at Egyptian port, security firm says
Read below for the latest developments concerning the Iran war and the wider Middle East on Thursday, July 30, 2026:
Tired of missing our real-time updates? Click here to add us as a Preferred Source on Google. Then tap the “Star” or “Preferred” to keep DW News at the top of your feed.
Skip next section US-owned storage tanker hit by drone at Egyptian port — security firm07/30/2026July 30, 2026
US-owned storage tanker hit by drone at Egyptian port — security firm
Ambrey, a British maritime security firm, released Wednesday an initial assessment stating that a drone had struck a US-owned gas storage tanker in the Egyptian port of Damietta.
An earlier statement from Egypt’s Oil Ministry confirmed the fire at the port, but did not mention a drone attack. The ministry said the fire was dealt with immediately and there were no casualties.
It was not immediately clear who was responsible.
If confirmed, a strike by Iran or its allies would mark a significant escalation of the conflict.
US President Donald Trump said he had been briefed on the incident.
https://p.dw.com/p/5HytqSkip next section Trump threatens to hit Iran ‘very hard’07/30/2026July 30, 2026
Trump threatens to hit Iran ‘very hard’
US President Donald Trump said the United States would hit Iran very hard following an attack on US military personnel in Jordan.
“They’ve already apologized, but, you know, we got to smack them a little bit,” he told reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday.
“It’s our turn, and we’ll see if we get there with an agreement at some point. But we’re going to hit them very hard,” Trump added.
The warning came after the lull in fighting appeared to end, quashing hopes of returning to negotiations.
On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia and the United States announced strikes on Iran-backed militants in Iraq, which Baghdad widely condemned. Saudi Arabia’s direct involvement threatens to widen the already escalating conflict in the region.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
https://p.dw.com/p/5HytnSkip next section Welcome to our coverage07/30/2026July 30, 2026
Welcome to our coverage
Dmytro Hubenko | Rana Taha Editor
Welcome to DW’s coverage of the situation of Iran and wider Middle East.
As the conflict in the Middle East continues to escalate, US President Donald Trump vowed to retaliate against Iran for attacking US military personnel in Jordan.
Meanwhile, Ambrey, a British maritime security firm, reported that a drone strike hit a US-owned natural gas storage vessel at the Egyptian port of Damietta.
Stay tuned for more news and analysis. For our coverage of the conflict on Jul 29, 2026, you can catch our blog here.
https://p.dw.com/p/5HytRShow more posts
About The Author
