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Iran live updates: Trump says 'our turn' to strike Iran, 'smack them a little bit'

The strikes were a response to recent militia attacks on Saudi Arabia.

Last Updated: July 29, 2026, 5:43 PM EDT

President Donald Trump announced "major combat operations" against Iran on Feb. 28, with massive joint U.S.-Israeli strikes targeting military, government and infrastructure sites.

Delegations from the U.S. and Iran entered negotiations in June aimed at a war-ending deal based on a memorandum of understanding signed by both countries.

The U.S. and Iran have nonetheless continued to exchange strikes, with the strategic Strait of Hormuz the primary flashpoint.

2 hours and 37 minutes ago

Trump says 'it's our turn' to strike Iran, vowing to hit them 'very hard,' 'smack them a little bit'

President Donald Trump said that it is "our turn" to strike Iran during an event in the Oval Office on Wednesday, hinting at an impending response to Iran's intercepted strikes on U.S. forces in the Middle East last night.

While the president vowed to strike Iran "very hard" and also "smack them a little bit," he also left the door open to the negotiations he has claimed are going on, following his threats by saying "we'll see if we get there with an agreement at some point."

"In the meantime, we're going to be hitting them very hard because it's our turn to hit them. They know it's coming. They're asking us not to do it, but you know they tried shooting it last night," Trump said.

"So we had five rockets shot going 8,500 miles an hour, and all five rockets were knocked down to the ground, but they nevertheless took a shot. So, 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.

When a reporter asked whether Trump would "always respond" to an Iranian strike, Trump said, "pretty much."

1:31 PM EDT

Egypt says fire breaks out at Damietta port after reports of drone attack

Egypt's Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral resources confirmed on Wednesday that "a fire broke out on the regasification vessel and the storage vessel located in Damietta Port."

The ministry said the "incident did not result in any injuries or loss of life," without specifying the cause of the fire.

The ministry's brief statement followed reports on an explosion at the LNG (liquid natural gas) terminal in Egypt, located in the north east of the country.

One security source denied the port had been targeted by a drone, after Reuters, citing maritime security firm Ambrey, reported that an initial assessment indicated a drone had hit a U.S.-owned gas storage tanker at Damietta port.

In a separate statement, the Inchcape Shipping Services, a port services firm, said that an explosion had occurred at Egypt's Damietta Port during cargo discharge operations on Wednesday evening.

The vessels involved have been relocated outside the port, and operations are expected to resume at nighttime at other berths and terminals, ISS said.


-ABC News' Ayat Altawy, Jamie Dorrington, Somayeh Malekian

1:30 PM EDT

US Patriot stockpile diminished by 65%, think tank estimates

A Center for Strategic and International Studies report released this week estimates that the U.S. stockpiles of its two critical air defense interceptors are dramatically reduced since combat between the U.S. and Iran began on Feb. 28.


The new report updates a prior report from April 8, when the two countries entered a ceasefire. The first report found that the U.S. stockpile of Patriot interceptors decreased by 55%. Updated figures -- accounting for a number of conflagrations since the ceasefire -- find the stockpile reduced another 10% -- with 65% of US Patriots now lost, according to the CSIS findings.

That's as few as 759 Patriot missiles in the U.S. stockpile, the analysis says.


The U.S. produces 183 of these interceptors a year, and it takes some 3.5 years from when a contract is signed for them to be delivered, according to CSIS.

-ABC News' Chris Boccia

11:41 AM EDT

US sanctions IRGC-backed entities operating insurance schemes in Strait of Hormuz

The Departments of State and Treasury have announced new sanctions targeting IRGC-backed entities accused of running "coercive 'insurance' schemes" to extort vessels in the Strait of Hormuz by charging fees for protection against risks created by the Iranian regime itself, as well as eight companies the administration says have facilitated Iranian oil exports to China and the UAE.

The move brings the total number of Iranian shadow fleet vessels sanctioned by the U.S. this year to over 100.

"The United States will continue to hold Iran accountable for weaponizing vital international waterways and evading sanctions through shadow fleet operations and deceptive financial schemes,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said.

"Protecting navigational rights and freedoms in the Strait of Hormuz is a global interest, and the United States will act, alongside partners, to ensure Iran cannot hold international commerce hostage to finance its malign activities," Pigott said.

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