US-Iran War Escalates: Gas Tanker in Egypt Hit by Drone
The war between the United States and Iran is escalating further. A drone struck a US-owned gas storage tanker, setting it ablaze at the port of Damietta in Egypt, on the Mediterranean Sea.
As reported by Reuters on Thursday (30/7/2026), the incident was disclosed by the British maritime security firm Ambrey. A statement from Egypt’s Ministry of Petroleum also confirmed a fire at the port.
Three trade sources familiar with the incident said the drone hit the floating storage tanker Energos Winter, causing a fire that spread to another vessel, the Gaslog Salem. Two separate security sources said the explosion was most likely caused by a drone attack.
The Energos Winter was reported to have been hit by an unidentified projectile, causing a fire that was subsequently extinguished, according to the British maritime risk management group Vanguard. It remains unclear who was responsible for the incident, which occurred shortly after Iran launched a missile attack on US forces in Jordan, and Washington and Saudi Arabia struck Iran-backed paramilitary groups in Iraq.
As previously reported, US President Donald Trump threatened retaliation against Iran, and Yemen’s Houthi group declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia, apparently widening the conflict to its broadest extent since the US and Israel began bombarding Iran in February.
Through a video uploaded on social media, Reuters was able to verify the location based on port infrastructure, storage tanks, and vessel tracking data consistent with archive and satellite imagery.
The vessels were identified as “ENERGOS WINTER (IMO: 9256614)” and “GASLOG SALEM (IMO: 9638915)” based on matching masts, sterns, hulls, and foredecks in archive imagery. The date was corroborated by supporting media reports, and Egypt’s petroleum ministry confirmed the fire at the port. No earlier version of the video was found to have been uploaded online before 29 July.
The Energos Winter is a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) with a storage capacity of 138,250 cubic metres. It is owned by the US-based company Energos Infrastructure. Its technical, safety, and commercial operations are managed by Wilhelmsen Ship Management, also an American company.
Egypt’s petroleum ministry stated that the fire occurred on a gasification vessel and a storage vessel at the port of Damietta, and was promptly handled in accordance with an emergency response plan approved by the firefighting and security teams.
Petroleum Minister Karim Badawi visited the scene to oversee the response efforts, the statement said. The fire caused no injuries or loss of life, and emergency and technical teams continue to work to manage and assess the impact of the incident, the statement added.