Skip next section What you need to know
What you need to know
- The US military has announced striking Iran in ‘powerful response’ to attacks a day earlier
- Donald Trump had said the US would 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:
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Skip next section Iranian media report attacks around Qeshm island07/30/2026July 30, 2026
Iranian media report attacks around Qeshm island
Three explosions were heard on Qeshm Island in Iran near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, according to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency.
Tasnim said that a residential area on the island was hit.
There have also been reports of explosions in Abadan and Bushehr, two cities in the southwestern part of the country.
“At 04:00 am (0030 GMT) a point near Qeshm was attacked by the American enemy military,” said Ahmad Nafisi, the deputy governor of the southern Hormozgan province, according to the Mehr news agency.
“Points around Abadan city were attacked by missiles by the terrorist enemy of America,” the Fars news agency reported, citing the deputy governor of Khuzestan.
https://p.dw.com/p/5HyuwSkip next section US launches new strikes against Iran07/30/2026July 30, 2026
US launches new strikes against Iran
US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that US forces began launching strikes against Iran at 8 p.m. ET (0000 GMT).
“The strikes are a powerful response to yesterday’s attempted Iranian attacks on US forces based in the Middle East,” the military wrote on X.
Earlier, President Donald Trump warned that the United States would hit Iran hard in retaliation for Iranian attacks on US forces in Jordan.
https://p.dw.com/p/5HyumSkip next section READ: Iran signals gas price hike as fuel crisis looms 07/30/2026July 30, 2026
READ: Iran signals gas price hike as fuel crisis looms
Iran is moving closer to politically sensitive changes in gasoline pricing as the government struggles with a widening gap between domestic fuel production and consumption, exacerbated by the ongoing conflict with the US.
On July 25, government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said changes to fuel prices or rationing are “certain and unavoidable,” although officials have yet to confirm whether the response will come through new quotas, higher prices or both.
Read more on how Iran, an oil powerhouse is short of gasoline.
https://p.dw.com/p/5HyuWSkip 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.
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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.
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