Drone Hits US LNG Vessel at Damietta in First Attack on Egyptian Soil

A drone attack on a US-owned liquefied natural gas vessel at Egypt's Mediterranean port of Damietta on Wednesday triggered a fire that spread to a second ship, marking what appears to be the first attack on Egyptian soil since the Iran-US war began in February. Egypt's cabinet confirmed on Thursday that preliminary investigations found the incident was caused by a drone. No group has claimed responsibility, and an investigation is ongoing. Authorities are taking measures to protect Egypt's interests and national security, the cabinet said.

The drone struck the Marshall Islands-flagged Energos Winter, a floating storage and regasification unit owned by US firm New Fortress Energy, on its starboard side at approximately 3:20 pm CET. The fire then 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 moved offshore for assessment.

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. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran does not seek escalation but demands compensation from Kyiv.

The incident comes amid heightened regional tensions: on Wednesday, Iran's Revolutionary Guard launched ballistic missiles at US forces in Jordan, the US and Saudi Arabia struck Iran-linked militia sites in Iraq, and Yemen's Houthi group declared a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia. Egypt, which has maintained ties with both Washington and Tehran, had previously been spared from attacks. The Suez Canal traffic, already down since the war began, faces further threats from Houthi plans to impose tolls on cargo ships.