A drone strike is believed to be the cause of a fire that erupted on two ships at Damietta port in Egypt, according to the country’s government. The incident occurred at the critical liquefied natural gas (LNG) hub, with no party taking responsibility for the attack as of today.
Authorities are conducting ongoing investigations and have assured that necessary measures will be taken to safeguard Egypt’s interests and national security. The fire reportedly originated on a US-owned floating storage and regasification vessel, Energos Winter, after being hit by a drone. Subsequently, the blaze spread to a nearby Greek-owned LNG tanker, the GasLog Salem.
Despite the dramatic scenes of black smoke rising over the port captured in social media videos, no injuries were reported from the fires, as confirmed by Egypt’s oil ministry. The Egyptian Cabinet released a statement acknowledging that preliminary investigations indicated the fire was caused by a drone striking the vessels on July 29, 2026.
Although the origin of the drone and the perpetrators behind the attack remain unconfirmed, suspicions have been directed towards Iran. The country and its allies have a history of targeting tankers in the Gulf and the Red Sea, as well as energy infrastructure in neighboring nations since the conflict with the US and Israel began.
If Iran is indeed responsible for the attacks, this would mark the first time Egypt has been targeted 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.” Notably, the drone strike on the US-owned vessel occurred shortly after the US and Saudi Arabia carried out air strikes on Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq, in response to previous drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities.
The strikes in Iraq resulted in the deaths of at least 20 members of the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), Iranian-backed Shia militias. The US conducted a series of intense strikes throughout Wednesday night, aiming to counter the perceived threats posed by the Iran-backed groups.