Drone attack in Egypt: Iran's warning to global energy traffic
Two ships hit by drone yesterday in Egypt’s port apparent Iranian attack, as Iranians warn ‘shipping could be more deeply disrupted’
Two Iranian officials have told The New York Times that the recent attack on Egypt's Port of Damietta was intended as a warning that Tehran could inflict far greater disruption on global maritime transport and energy supplies if regional tensions escalate.
Iran has not officially claimed responsibility for the explosion at the port. However, the two officials, speaking anonymously, said the incident was caused by a drone. They declined to say whether the operation was carried out directly by Iran or by one of its allied groups in the Middle East.
The explosion struck a liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility, igniting a fire aboard two storage vessels. According to Reuters, the drone hit the Energos Winter, a vessel owned by a US company, before the blaze spread to the GasLog Salem. Both crews were safely evacuated, and firefighters later brought the flames under control.
Three days before the incident, Iranian state television identified Damietta as a potential target for retaliation against Ukrainian interests following an unusual Ukrainian strike on an Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea.
During a televised broadcast titled "What Could Be the Targets of Iranian Revenge Against Ukraine?", a map highlighted several potential targets across the Middle East and beyond, including the Port of Damietta.
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The program described the port's LNG terminal as a key export hub supplying Europe, with an annual production capacity of 5.2 million tonnes. Iranian media had also warned of possible strikes against infrastructure linked to oil and gas exports to the European market.
The attack came despite recent diplomatic efforts between Kyiv and Tehran. The foreign ministers of Iran and Ukraine held talks on Tuesday, after which Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran was "not seeking escalation" while continuing to demand compensation from Ukraine.