DUBAI — A fire that broke out on two vessels at Egypt’s Mediterranean port of Damietta on Wednesday was caused by a drone, according to the Egyptian government.
“The situation was handled immediately in accordance with emergency and rapid response plans,” Egypt’s oil ministry said.
This is the first time Egyptian infrastructure has been struck in the widening war.
No party has claimed responsibility for the incident, officials said, which took place during cargo operations at a liquefied natural gas terminal. No injuries or deaths were reported.
On Thursday morning, Egypt confirmed that a drone had caused the fire on board the two vessels.
“After the fire that affected two vessels at Damietta Port on July 29, 2026, was brought under control, preliminary investigations by the relevant authorities found that the incident was caused by a drone,” the Egyptian Cabinet said in a statement.
The authorities are continuing their investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident and take the measures necessary “to protect Egypt’s interests and national security,” the statement said.
British maritime security company Ambrey reported on Wednesday that an explosion struck a US-owned and operated, Marshall Islands-flagged floating liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage facility at Damietta port.
Crew members were evacuated and the fire was brought under control, the report said.
Maritime shipping service Inchcape, in a separate statement on Wednesday, also said a blast had occurred at the LNG terminal. Port operations were expected to resume overnight at other berths and terminals, it added.
Maritime risk-management company Marisks on Wednesday said the affected vessels were moved outside the port. On Thursday, port authorities said operations continued “at full efficiency.”
“The port continues to provide its maritime and logistics services around the clock without interruption, meeting the needs of shipping lines and all port users,” Damietta Port Authority said in a statement.
If confirmed as a deliberate attack, Marisks said it would represent a significant expansion of regional hostilities into Mediterranean energy infrastructure.
US President Donald Trump promised to hit Iran “hard” following a wave of Iranian missile attacks targeting US bases in the region and joint US-Saudi Arabia attacks on a Tehran-backed armed group in Iraq.
The attacks on multiple fronts mark a resumption of hostilities after a few days of relative calm.
Meanwhile, Iraq said there was no evidence its territory was used to launch strikes on Saudi Arabia earlier this week.
The Saudi Defense ministry said drone strikes launched from Iraq had targeted its critical infrastructure in the eastern region and the capital Riyadh on Monday and Tuesday.
“No party has provided any evidence to substantiate these claims so far,” the Iraqi prime minister’s spokesperson Sabah Al-Numan told the Iraqi News Agency.
“The government will not tolerate any unilateral actions originating from within Iraq, while at the same time it will not accept any violation coming from outside its borders,” Al-Numan added.
On Wednesday, US-Saudi strikes on Iraq killed at least 20 people and wounded 32, according to the Popular Mobilization Forces, an Iran-aligned Iraqi militia.
Source: Saudi Gazette