Iran live updates: Trump says US will hit Iran 'hard' following Jordan missile 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

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

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.

President Donald Trump is pledging the U.S. will respond to an overnight missile attack launched by Iran.

Describing the missile attack as a surprise, Trump told Fox News on Wednesday, "we'll be hitting them [Iran] hard” and added, "they're going to get a beating."

Trump said U.S. forces at the targeted facilities shot down the incoming missiles and had only minutes to respond to what U.S. Central Command called an "attempted surprise attack."

Commenting on overnight U.S.-Saudi strikes on Iranian-backed militias in Iraq, Trump said the Tehran-aligned groups were a "cancer on the world."

On Tuesday’s meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the president said that it was a great meeting and said that he believes his relationship with Netanyahu is strengthening.

Trump said that the meeting was great in terms of possible talks with the Iranian regime, and pledged that the U.S. is going to allow negotiators to keep talking. The Iranians have repeatedly rejected that there are ongoing talks.