Africa30 July, 20262 min read
Drone Strike Hits Egypt’s Damietta, Fires US Energos Winter Vessel and Damages GasLog Salem
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Drone strike hits two gas vessels at Damietta port, igniting fires. American-owned floating gas storage vessel struck at Damietta port.
Damietta strike and damage
A drone strike hit Egypt’s Mediterranean port of Damietta, sparking fires on the US-owned Energos Winter gas storage vessel and damaging the Greek-owned GasLog Salem tanker moored alongside, with Egyptian casualties avoided. The strike was described as the first attack on Egypt since the US-Iran war erupted, and it marked a new milestone by crossing from the Gulf into the Mediterranean.
“We rely strictly on verified facts so we can respond appropriately.”
The Daily Star said Damietta lies more than 1,300 km from Iran and 2,000 km from Yemen, raising questions about the launch point. In Cairo, Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly told reporters on Thursday that while speculation existed about who perpetrated the attack, “We rely strictly on verified facts so we can respond appropriately.”
Competing claims and quotes
Iran denied involvement, with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi writing on social media, “Egypt is an important friend and partner in the region, and its security is of utmost importance to us,” while also warning about “Israeli plots and false-flag operations.” Analysts cited by The Arab Weekly said the goal of the attack could be to drag Egypt into the conflict, and King’s College London professor Andreas Krieg said, “The attack may have been calibrated to damage a United States-linked asset without killing Egyptians.”
Royal United Services Institute analyst HA Hellyer told AFP that the distance meant “it’s unlikely that Iran would have struck Egypt directly from Iranian territory,” but he said Tehran’s regional allies could have carried it out via the Houthis in Yemen or Iran-aligned militias in Iraq. Egypt’s cabinet said on Thursday that an unidentified drone caused a fire on two vessels at Damietta a day earlier, and the port’s location near the Suez Canal links the Mediterranean and Red Seas.
Suez Canal stakes and next steps
With the port strike described as the furthest afield from the Gulf since the war broke out, analysts warned it could threaten shipping lanes tied to the Suez Canal, which links the Mediterranean and Red Seas. The Daily Star reported that Egypt had absorbed rerouted Gulf trade through its ports and the Suez Canal, and it said vessel operators may now adopt a wait-and-see approach as risks around Egypt’s northern gateway are reassessed.
In Damietta, the port’s strategic role was underscored by the claim that the precision strike caused fires on the US-owned Energos Winter storage and regasification vessel and the Greek-owned GasLog Salem tanker, which was moored alongside. Egypt’s government insisted marine traffic remained normal and Damietta port operational, while the Arab Weekly quoted Madbouly warning that “We will not react impulsively or be drawn into the regional crisis,” even as external interests attempt to drag nations into regional conflicts.