A drone struck a US-owned gas storage tanker at a port on Egypt's Mediterranean coast on July 29, 2026, causing a fire that spread to a second vessel, maritime risk firm Ambrey reported. The incident occurred at Damietta Port, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The vessel hit was the Energos Winter, a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) flagged to the Marshall Islands, with a storage capacity of 138,250 cubic metres. The drone struck its starboard side at approximately 3:20 pm CET. The fire then spread to the nearby Bermuda-flagged LNG tanker Gaslog Salem. Both crews were evacuated and no injuries were reported. The fire was brought under control, and the vessels were moved offshore for assessment.
Ownership of the Energos Winter is disputed. One source identifies New Fortress Energy, a US company, as the owner; another source states it is owned by Energos Infrastructure, also US-based. The vessel's technical, safety, and commercial operations are managed by Wilhelmsen Ship Management, a Singapore-based subsidiary of the Norwegian Wilhelmsen Group.
Egypt confirmed that the fire was caused by a drone. The Egyptian Cabinet said no party had claimed responsibility and that preliminary investigations found the incident was caused by a drone. Investigations continue to determine the circumstances and protect Egypt's interests and national security. Petroleum Minister Karim Badawi travelled to the port to oversee the response.
Storage capacity of the Energos Winter, the FSRU that was struck.
US President Donald Trump vowed a "very hard" response after the drone strike. The attack was the first on Egyptian soil since the war between Iran and the US began on February 28. Iranian state television had identified Damietta as a possible target for 'retaliation against Ukrainian interests' two days before the strike, and a map described the port as 'a gateway for gas exports to Europe.' A Ukrainian strike on an Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea occurred over the prior weekend. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Tuesday that Iran 'does not seek escalation' but was demanding 'compensation' from Kyiv.
The incident is part of a broader escalation. On Wednesday, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched ballistic missiles at US forces in Jordan. The US and Saudi Arabia struck Iran-linked militia sites across Iraq on Wednesday. Yemen's Houthi group declared a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia on Wednesday and reportedly plans to impose a toll on passing cargo ships, threatening strikes on noncompliant vessels, which could severely reduce traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb strait.
Egypt's Suez Canal, through which roughly 12% of global trade normally passes, has seen a dramatic drop in traffic since the war began. Egypt was previously an LNG exporter and Damietta hosted one of the Arabic-speaking world's first LNG export terminals, but declining domestic gas production turned the country into a net importer. Energy analytics firm Kpler said the attack disrupted operations at the terminal and forced both vessels to move offshore.