Egyptian PM announces investigation after Damietta port drone attack

Egypt's Prime Minister said Thursday that the country would now be examining the remains of a drone that attacked two vessels at the Egyptian port of Damietta on Wednesday.

"The security group is now investigating this issue, and its source, and evaluating the situation to know what would be the reaction of the Egyptian state in the coming period,” Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said during a press conference.

On Wednesday, British maritime security firm Ambrey said drone strikes ignited fires on two natural gas vessels at the Egyptian port of Damietta.

It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the strikes on a U.S.-owned floating storage facility and a Greek-owned tanker. No injuries were reported.

The office of the Egyptian prime minister said initial investigations showed the fires on the two vessels had been caused by a drone.

Egypt, a close U.S. ally and regional mediator, is one of the only countries in the Middle East to have been spared direct military action during the war.

A strike by Iran or its allies, if confirmed, would mark a significant widening of the conflict.

The Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have denied they were behind the attack.

This comes as the United States and Iran each fired barrages of missiles Thursday, as the pattern of back-and-forth strikes took hold again and hope dimmed for a quick end to the five-month conflict.