A drone strike caused a fire on two gas vessels at Egypt’s Damietta Port on July 29, 2026, marking the first such attack on the country since the outbreak of the Middle East war, according to government confirmations and maritime security reports.
The incident at Damietta Port involved the floating storage and regasification unit Energos Winter and the nearby tanker GasLog Salem, according to trading sources and shipping data reported by Reuters. Maritime security firm Ambrey initially flagged that a drone had struck a US-owned and operated, Marshall Islands-flagged floating liquefied natural gas storage facility at the Mediterranean hub. While the Egyptian petroleum ministry initially reported that a fire had broken out without specifying a cause, the Egyptian Cabinet confirmed on Thursday following preliminary investigations that the blaze was caused by a drone.
Emergency Response and Vessel Damage at Damietta Port
Emergency response teams moved quickly to contain the fire, preventing injuries or fatalities. Petroleum Minister Karim Badawi traveled directly to the site to oversee firefighting operations and ensure safety procedures were implemented, khaleejtimes.com. Maritime shipping service Inchcape noted that port operations were expected to resume overnight at unaffected berths and terminals.
Technical teams assessed the structural impact on the two impacted vessels. The Energos Winter, an FSRU with a storage capacity of 138,250 cubic metres owned by the US-based firm Energos Infrastructure and managed by Wilhelmsen Ship Management, was struck on its starboard side, according to Al Jazeera. The resulting fire subsequently spread to the adjacent GasLog Salem before emergency crews brought the flames under control.
Official Statements and Lack of Responsibility
Egyptian authorities stated that no individual faction or government had claimed responsibility for the drone strike. In its official release, the cabinet emphasized that security forces are pressing forward with investigations to protect national security.
The Egyptian government added that it intends to preserve Egypt’s interests and national security while the investigation continues to uncover the circumstances of the attack.
Regional Conflict Context and Escalating Middle East Tensions
The strike at Damietta Port occurred against a backdrop of broader regional hostilities involving the United States, Iran, and allied armed groups. The incident happened shortly after Iran launched missile attacks against US forces in Jordan, prompting retaliatory strikes by Washington and Saudi Arabia against Iran-backed paramilitary groups in Iraq, Free Malaysia Today reported.
Before the cabinet’s confirmation, US President Donald Trump addressed reporters regarding the incident, describing the situation as
without naming a responsible party or confirming whether the incident was a deliberate attack, noted Egyptian Streets.a little more of the same
Energy Infrastructure Vulnerabilities in Egypt
Damietta Port houses one of Egypt’s two liquefied natural gas facilities alongside the facility in Idku. Since 2025, the port has functioned as a critical importing hub utilizing FSRUs to bolster domestic gas supplies, particularly during periods of heavy summer electricity demand.
While energy infrastructure across the broader Middle East has faced repeated drone and missile strikes during the ongoing conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran, Egypt’s territory had largely remained untouched until this incident, according to reports from regional analysts.
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