Donald Trump vows harsh strike on Iran after US tanker fire in Egypt
A fire erupted on two LNG vessels, including the Energos Winter floating storage unit and the GasLog Salem carrier, at Egypt’s Damietta LNG terminal. Egyptian authorities confirmed the blaze but did not identify a cause or attribute it to a drone attack, and no group claimed responsibility.
US President Donald Trump said he had been briefed on the incident and warned that the United States would respond forcefully to Iranian aggression. He told reporters, “It’s our turn, we’ll hit them hard,” and added that the US would launch “very strong” strikes against Iran within hours in retaliation for recent ballistic missile attacks on US bases in Jordan. Trump also called for adding tariffs on Iran to the sanctions legislation targeting Russia.
The statements reflect heightened US‑Iran tensions in the Middle East following the unexplained fire on the American‑flagged tankers.
Entities: Damietta LNG terminal · Donald Trump · Egypt · Iran · United States
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Egyptian authorities confirmed the fire but did not identify a cause or confirm a drone strike. (Egyptian oil ministry said two vessels caught fire; cause unspecified, no responsibility claimed.)
- [● 4 SOURCES] Trump threatened that the United States would hit Iran hard in response to recent attacks. (He said, “It’s our turn, we’ll hit them hard,” and warned of “very strong” strikes.)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] No party has claimed responsibility for the fire incident. (Reports noted no responsibility taken.)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Iran launched ballistic missiles at US military installations in Jordan. (The missiles were cited as the trigger for US retaliation statements.)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] US President Donald Trump said he had been briefed about the incident. (Trump told reporters he was informed and the matter would be addressed.)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] A fire broke out on two LNG vessels at Egypt’s Damietta LNG terminal. (Egyptian authorities confirmed the blaze involving the Energos Winter unit and the GasLog Salem carrier.)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Trump proposed adding tariffs on Iran to the sanctions bill targeting Russia. (He said he would like to see tariffs on Iran included in the Russia sanctions legislation.)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Trump said the US would launch attacks on Iran within hours. (In a press briefing he announced imminent strikes as retaliation.)