US-Iran War Live Updates: 'It's our turn to hit,' says Trump as drone strikes US-owned tanker and Red Sea tensions deepen
Trump vowed to “hit them very hard” after accusing Iran of launching another overnight missile attack, while a drone struck a US-owned tanker off Egypt in an incident whose perpetrator remains unclear. Adding to concerns over global oil trade, Yemen’s Houthis are weighing fees on commercial ships transiting the Red Sea. Follow for the latest updates.
US President Donald Trump vowed a forceful response after accusing Iran of launching another overnight missile attack, saying “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 said so after he was briefed about attacks on US military centre and air bases in Jordan.
The latest escalation also came as a drone struck the US-owned gas storage tanker Energos Winter at Egypt’s Mediterranean port of Damietta, sparking a fire that quickly spread to another vessel before being brought under control, Reuters reported. It is not yet clear who is behind the attack.
Egypt confirmed the fire but did not identify the cause.
Meanwhile, CENTCOM said it continues to enforce the US blockade against Iran, announcing that it has redirected 20 commercial vessels, disabled two and boarded two as of July 29.
In another sign of the conflict spreading beyond the Gulf, Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis are considering imposing fees on commercial ships transiting the southern Red Sea, a week after declaring a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia. It has pushed oil prices up 7%.
Saudi Arabia, in turn, is holding talks with dozens of countries to form an international coalition to protect Red Sea shipping from Houthi attacks.
Follow for the latest updates on the war in West Asia.