A drone struck a US-owned liquefied natural gas vessel at Egypt’s Mediterranean port of Damietta on Wednesday, triggering a fire that spread to a second ship. The Damietta drone attack marks the first strike on Egyptian soil since the war between Iran and the US began in February.
Egypt’s cabinet confirmed on Thursday morning that preliminary investigations by the relevant authorities found the incident was caused by a drone, offering the first official confirmation of the attack’s nature. No side has claimed responsibility, and an investigation remains ongoing. Authorities said they were taking measures to protect Egypt’s interests and national security.
How the Attack Unfolded
Egypt’s Petroleum Ministry had earlier confirmed the fire without identifying its cause. Petroleum Minister Karim Badawi travelled to the port to oversee the response.
The drone struck the Energos Winter, a Marshall Islands-flagged floating storage and regasification unit owned by US company New Fortress Energy, on its starboard side at approximately 3:20pm CET, according to maritime security firm Ambrey and British firm Vanguard. The fire spread to the nearby Bermuda-flagged LNG tanker Gaslog Salem. Both crews were evacuated, the fire was brought under control, and no injuries were reported. Both vessels were subsequently moved offshore for assessment.
Iran Had Flagged Damietta as a Target
Egyptian authorities and multiple maritime sources confirmed that Iranian state television had identified Damietta as a possible target for retaliation against Ukrainian interests two days earlier, following a Ukrainian strike on an Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea over the weekend. The map shown on state-run Iranian television described Damietta as a gateway for gas exports to Europe.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Tuesday that Iran does not seek escalation, but was demanding compensation from Kyiv.
Energy analytics firm Kpler said the attack disrupted operations at the terminal and forced both vessels to move offshore. Ayman Salah, former head of the Damietta Port Authority, said the regasification process occurs at very high pressure and that any leak could cause a fire.
Part of a Rapidly Escalating Regional Crisis
The incident comes as the region enters one of its most volatile periods since the war began. On Wednesday, the IRGC launched ballistic missiles at US forces in Jordan, the US and Saudi Arabia struck Iran-linked militia sites across Iraq, and Yemen’s Houthi group declared a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia, raising fears of the widest simultaneous regional escalation since the war began on February 28.
Egypt had so far been spared attacks during the US-Iran war, maintaining relations with both Washington and Tehran.
Threat to a Key Global Trade Route
Egypt’s Suez Canal, through which roughly 12 percent of global trade normally passes, has already seen a dramatic drop in traffic since the war began. That traffic is now further imperilled by reported plans from Yemen’s Houthi group to impose a toll on passing cargo ships, along with threats of strikes on noncompliant vessels, which could severely reduce traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb strait in the Red Sea.
Egypt was previously an LNG exporter, and Damietta hosted one of the Arabic-speaking world’s first LNG export terminals, but declining domestic gas production has since turned the country into a net importer.
