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US President Donald Trump has reaffirmed his threat of military action against Iran, stating that Washington plans to strike Tehran "very hard" and asserting that "it's our turn to hit them."
When asked during an Oval Office appearance about an earlier blast at Egypt's Mediterranean port of Damietta, Trump confirmed that he had received a briefing on the incident, adding that "it's going to be straightened out." Directing further warnings at Tehran, the US President declared, "They know it's coming." Trump further noted the possibility of future diplomacy, saying, "We'll see if we get there with an agreement at some point," prior to reiterating his warning of kinetic action. The US President's sharp rhetoric came in the immediate aftermath of an explosion on Wednesday that rocked a US-owned and operated liquefied natural gas (LNG) vessel at Egypt's Damietta Port following a drone strike, raising fears that the Middle East conflict is spilling over into critical energy hubs beyond its traditional Gulf theatre. Quoting maritime security firm Ambrey, Al Jazeera reported that the explosion occurred during cargo discharge operations at the port. The UK-based security firm identified the vessel as the US-owned floating storage ship Energos Winter, revealing that it was struck by an unmanned aerial vehicle while berthed at the facility. Egypt's Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources subsequently confirmed that a fire broke out involving a storage vessel and a tugboat at Damietta Port, adding that no casualties were reported. "The situation was dealt with immediately in accordance with the emergency plans ... and firefighting and safety teams at the site," the ministry said in a Facebook post, while remaining silent on what triggered the blaze. The assault at the Egyptian terminal, one of Cairo's primary natural gas export hubs, capped one of the most tumultuous days in the region in recent weeks. Barely hours earlier, military forces from the US and Saudi Arabia launched coordinated strikes targeting Iran-backed Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) positions across Iraq. The joint operation marked Riyadh's first official acknowledgement of participating in direct combat alongside Washington against Tehran-aligned groups, following a fresh wave of attacks on American positions. In a parallel escalation overnight, Tehran confirmed launching a salvo of missiles targeting US military installations in Jordan alongside maritime operations against vessels navigating the Strait of Hormuz. Iran also turned down a diplomatic proposal from Oman aimed at joint administration of the critical maritime choke point, underscoring a complete freeze in de-escalation efforts. Underscoring the rapid collapse of a brief operational pause, Trump delivered a scathing threat against adversary forces following the multi-front developments. "We'll be hitting them hard," Fox News quoted Trump as saying, before adding, "We're going to beat the fucking shit out of them." The strikes on Damietta highlight the acute vulnerability of energy infrastructure across the Middle East. Reacting instantly to the geopolitical shock and threats to crucial fuel transit lanes, Brent crude futures surged by over 8 per cent to trade back above USD 90 per barrel, sharply reversing losses from earlier in the week. (ANI)
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