Cairo, July 30 (ANI): An explosion struck a US-owned and operated liquefied natural gas (LNG) vessel at Egypt’s Damietta Port following a drone attack on Wednesday, raising concerns that the Middle East conflict is spreading to critical energy infrastructure beyond the Gulf region.
Citing maritime security firm Ambrey, Al Jazeera reported that the explosion occurred while the vessel was discharging cargo at the port.
The UK-based maritime security company identified the ship as the US-owned floating storage vessel Energos Winter, saying it was struck by an unmanned aerial vehicle while berthed at the facility.
Egypt’s Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources later confirmed that a fire broke out involving a storage vessel and a tugboat at Damietta Port, adding that no casualties were reported.
“The situation was dealt with immediately in accordance with emergency plans … and firefighting and safety teams at the site,” the ministry said in a Facebook post, without identifying the cause of the fire.
The incident at Damietta followed one of the most volatile days in the region in recent weeks. Hours earlier, US and Saudi Arabian forces launched coordinated strikes against Iran-backed Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) positions across Iraq.
The joint operation marked Saudi Arabia’s first official acknowledgment of participating in direct combat alongside the United States against Iran-aligned groups, following a renewed wave of attacks on American positions and the collapse of a brief operational pause.
In a parallel escalation overnight, Iran confirmed it had launched a barrage of missiles targeting US military installations in Jordan, while also carrying out maritime operations against vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
Tehran also rejected a diplomatic proposal from Oman aimed at establishing joint administration of the strategic waterway, signaling a further deterioration in efforts to de-escalate regional tensions.
Responding to the developments, President Donald Trump warned of a forceful US response.
“We’ll be hitting them hard,” Fox News quoted Trump as saying. “We’re going to beat the f**king sh*t out of them.”
The remarks came shortly after Trump had paused US military operations, saying commanders believed the initial phase of the campaign had been completed. That pause has since been lifted.
The attack on the Egyptian port underscores the growing vulnerability of energy infrastructure across the Middle East. Damietta is one of Egypt’s principal natural gas export hubs, and any disruption to its operations could have broader implications for global energy markets and maritime trade.
Reacting to the escalating geopolitical tensions, Brent crude futures surged more than 8% to trade above USD 90 a barrel, reversing losses recorded earlier in the week when investors had briefly anticipated a diplomatic breakthrough. (ANI)
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