A drone strike caused a fire that erupted on two ships at the port of Damietta in Egypt, as confirmed by the country’s government. The incident, which targeted the crucial liquefied natural gas (LNG) hub, remains unclaimed by any party, according to an official statement released today.
Ongoing investigations are being conducted, and authorities have pledged to take necessary actions to safeguard Egypt’s interests and national security, as stated in the announcement. The fire reportedly started on a US-owned floating storage and regasification vessel, Energos Winter, before spreading to a nearby Greek-owned LNG tanker, the GasLog Salem.
Fortunately, there were no reported injuries in the fires, as announced by Egypt’s oil ministry. The Egyptian Cabinet disclosed that preliminary investigations by relevant authorities indicated that a drone was the cause of the incident at Damietta Port on July 29, 2026.
Videos circulating on social media captured black smoke billowing over the port. While the origin of the drone and the responsible party remain unconfirmed, suspicions have been directed towards Iran. Iran and its allies have conducted similar attacks on tankers in the Gulf and the Red Sea, as well as targeting energy infrastructure in neighboring nations since the onset of conflicts with the US and Israel.
If Iran is indeed responsible, this would mark the first known attack on Egypt by the country. US President Donald Trump hinted at 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 coincided with air strikes launched by the US and Saudi Arabia on Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq accused of drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities.
The strikes resulted in the deaths of at least 20 members of the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), Iranian-backed Shia militias, as confirmed by the group. The US conducted a series of extensive strikes throughout Wednesday night, intensifying the situation.