First Attack on Egyptian Soil Since US-Iran War Began: Drone Hits U.S.-Affiliated LNG Vessels at Damietta

A drone struck two U.S.-affiliated liquefied natural gas (LNG) vessels at Egypt's Mediterranean port of Damietta on Wednesday, Egypt's cabinet confirmed Thursday — the first attack on Egyptian soil since the war between Iran and the United States began in February.

The fire broke out at 14:20 GMT on two dockside ships, including a Bermuda-flagged LNG carrier, according to Maritime Executive and Al Jazeera. The cabinet said the blaze was extinguished, no crew were injured, and port operations continued, Euronews reported.

Egypt's Petroleum Ministry initially confirmed the fire without naming a cause; the cabinet confirmed the drone strike Thursday morning, Egypt Oil & Gas reported, identifying the target as a floating storage regasification unit (FSRU). No side has claimed responsibility. The Jerusalem Post and Media Line cited anonymous regional security sources pointing to Iran-linked actors; Egypt has not publicly named a perpetrator.

Damietta is a Mediterranean LNG hub west of the Suez Canal and the planned landing point for an Eni and TotalEnergies pipeline from Cyprus's Cronos gas field intended to revive Egypt's LNG export role. The strike marks the first time the drone threat that has hit Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb commercial shipping has reached dockside energy infrastructure at a Mediterranean hub. Egypt said it is taking measures to protect national security interests; the extent of structural damage and any supply impact remain undisclosed.