Drone hits gas tanker at Egypt's Damietta port

LONDON/CAIRO – A drone struck a U.S.-owned gas storage tanker at Egypt's Mediterranean port of Damietta on Wednesday, triggering a fire that spread to another vessel, according to British maritime security firm Ambrey and multiple security sources.

Egypt's petroleum ministry confirmed a fire at the port but did not mention a drone attack or identify the cause of the incident. Port services firm Inchcape also reported that two gas tankers caught fire at Damietta.

Trading and security sources said the drone hit the floating storage tanker Energos Winter, causing a blaze that spread to the Gaslog Salem. British maritime risk management group Vanguard said the Energos Winter was struck by an unidentified projectile on its starboard side, sparking a fire that was later extinguished.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the incident.

The attack came shortly after Iran launched missiles at U.S. forces in Jordan, while the United States and Saudi Arabia carried out strikes against Iran-backed paramilitary groups in Iraq, raising concerns that the conflict is spreading further across the Middle East.

U.S. President Donald Trump threatened retaliation against Iran, while Yemen's Houthi group declared a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, further escalating regional tensions.

Reuters verified the location of the incident through a video posted on social media by matching port infrastructure, storage tanks, ship tracking data, and satellite imagery. The vessels involved were identified as the Energos Winter and the Gaslog Salem based on their visible features, with the timing confirmed by media reports and the Egyptian petroleum ministry's statement.

The Energos Winter is a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) with a storage capacity of 138,250 cubic meters. It is owned by U.S.-based Energos Infrastructure, while its technical, safety, and commercial operations are managed by Wilhelmsen Ship Management.

Egypt's petroleum ministry said firefighters and security teams quickly contained the blaze under approved emergency response plans. Petroleum Minister Karim Badawi visited the port to oversee response efforts.

The ministry said no injuries or fatalities were reported. Emergency and technical teams continue to assess the impact of the incident. -Reporting by Jonathan Saul, Marwa Rashad and Mohamed Ezz; Additional reporting by Nathan Chiang and Monica Naime; Editing by Alex Richardson and David Gregorio/Reuters