A drone strike was cited as the cause of a fire that erupted on two ships at the port of Damietta in Egypt, according to the government. The incident, which occurred at the key liquefied natural gas (LNG) hub, had no party claiming responsibility as of today.
Authorities are conducting ongoing investigations and stated that they would take necessary actions to safeguard Egypt’s interests and national security. One of the affected vessels was the US-owned floating storage and regasification vessel, Energos Winter, which was reportedly struck by a drone. The fire then spread to a nearby Greek-owned LNG tanker, the GasLog Salem.
The Egyptian oil ministry confirmed that there were no injuries resulting from the fires. Following the incident, the Egyptian Cabinet released a statement acknowledging that the fire, which affected two vessels at Damietta Port, was caused by a drone.
Videos on social media showed black smoke rising over the port. While the origin of the drone attack remains unconfirmed, suspicions point towards Iran. Iran and its allies have been linked to similar attacks on tankers in the Gulf and the Red Sea, as well as targeting energy infrastructure in neighboring countries amidst ongoing conflicts with the US and Israel.
If Iran is indeed responsible, this would mark the first attack on Egypt from the country. US President Donald Trump implied Iranian involvement, stating, “It’s a little more of the same. But it’s going to be straightening out.” The drone strike on the US-owned vessel occurred shortly after air strikes by the US and Saudi Arabia on Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq, accused of launching drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities.
The strike resulted in the reported deaths of at least 20 members of the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), Iranian-backed Shia militias. The US conducted a series of strikes throughout Wednesday night in response to the escalating tensions.
