Drone attack near Suez Canal sets fire to two gas storage ships

A drone strike near Egypt's Damietta port sparked fires aboard two gas storage vessels, raising concerns the fighting between the United States and Iran could widen to a new front and threaten shipping routes linked to the Suez Canal.

Egyptian authorities said a preliminary investigation found that an unidentified drone yesterday started a blaze on two ships in Damietta, a Mediterranean harbour located close to the Suez Canal, the waterway that connects the Mediterranean and the Red Sea.

Attack hit a U.S.-linked vessel

Officials reported that the unmanned aircraft struck the American gas storage ship "Energos Winter", igniting a fire that then spread to a second vessel. No group has claimed responsibility, and the government said it is taking measures to protect Egypt's national security.

Analysts and shipping interests warned the incident underlines the danger of the conflict spilling beyond the immediate theatres of confrontation, noting that the Suez Canal remains the last intact export route for Saudi oil.

Local sources familiar with the incident confirmed the sequence of events to reporters, describing how the initial blaze aboard "Energos Winter" expanded to involve the neighbouring ship before emergency teams extinguished the fires.

Egyptian authorities said they will continue investigations and increase security steps in and around key ports and chokepoints to reduce the risk to commercial navigation and energy shipments.

Photo: press material from the event