Mohan Sinha
01 Aug 2026

DUBAI, U.A.E: A drone attack on gas vessels at Egypt's Mediterranean port of Damietta may signal a new phase in the conflict between the United States and Iran.  The incident has raised concerns about the safety of shipping near the Suez Canal, a key route for global trade and one of the last secure paths for Saudi oil exports.

Egypt's cabinet said on July 30 that early findings showed an unidentified drone caused a fire on two ships at Damietta port on July 29. The port lies close to the Suez Canal, which connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea.

Officials said no group had claimed responsibility for the attack. Authorities added that steps were being taken to protect the country's national security.

According to trading sources, the drone struck a U.S.-owned gas storage tanker called Energos Winter. The impact caused a fire that later spread to another nearby vessel.

The incident came amid rising tensions in the region. Overnight, the U.S. military carried out strikes on command centers and drone facilities linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guards. The attacks followed Iranian strikes on U.S. forces in the region.

Iranian state media reported that three civilians were killed and two children injured in U.S. strikes on Qeshm Island. It also said three members of the Revolutionary Guards were killed in Zanjan province.

Officials in Iran also reported damage in the southwestern city of Ahvaz, where two student dormitory buildings were hit during the overnight attacks.

In response, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it launched strikes on the U.S.-run Azraq base in Jordan. The group had earlier warned that the aggressor would be punished.

"With the help of God, the aggressor will be punished today," the Revolutionary Guards said in a statement.

The Pentagon did not immediately comment on reports of damage at the Azraq base.

U.S. military bases in Jordan have recently become frequent targets for Iranian attacks. Jordan's armed forces said earlier that they had intercepted five Iranian missiles.

In a separate incident, an Iranian strike hit a building owned by a Chinese company in northern Kuwait. Kuwait's Defense Ministry said the attack killed one worker and caused heavy damage.