Egypt Continues Investigations into Port of Damietta Incident
Egypt announced that investigations into the attack on the gasification and storage vessels, the Tghweez and the Takhzeez, at the port of Damietta in the northern Delta on Wednesday are still ongoing to ascertain all circumstances and identify the responsible party.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that “in the context of monitoring reports disseminated by some foreign media outlets regarding the attack on the two vessels, it points out that some of these outlets have published inaccurate and erroneous news about the incident.”
It called on “all media outlets, news agencies, and foreign correspondents in Egypt and abroad to exercise precision in their reporting and to emphasize the importance of conveying information related to Egyptian affairs and the Damietta incident based on statements from official authorities.”
State Minister for Media, Diaa Rashwan, denied claims made by the Wall Street Journal, citing two anonymous Egyptian sources, alleging Iran’s responsibility for the incident.
He stated, “There are no anonymous sources in Egypt. Official information is issued only by competent authorities. Precision must be exercised, and reliance on unverified accounts should be avoided. The Egyptian state is committed to full transparency, and citizens have the right to know the truth. However, this must be done within the framework of respecting the investigative process and without announcing any results before its completion. The state awaits the conclusion of final investigations to determine who is responsible for the incident. It is essential not to anticipate events or issue judgments before all information is available.”
Earlier, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said, “Egypt is an important friend and partner in the region, and Egypt’s security is of utmost importance to Iran. We must all remain vigilant against Israeli plots and false-flag operations aimed at undermining regional peace.”
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly revealed that firefighting operations on the two vessels lasted approximately 12 hours, from 4 p.m. to 4 a.m. He noted that the government has decided to introduce a new firefighting system using drones and aircraft.
He added that repair work on the vessel at the port of Damietta has already begun, and the time required to return it to service will be assessed. Egypt owns another gasification vessel under contract with the Jordanian side at the port of Aqaba, which is used in emergencies. Contact has been made with the Jordanian Minister of Energy to begin its operation and integrate it into the state’s energy security framework.
Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy, Mahmoud Esam El-Din, stated that there is “no negative impact on gas supply rates to the electricity sector, and we have 425,000 tons of fuel oil ready for use as part of the strategic reserve.”
