Egypt says investigation into attack on 2 vessels at port ongoing

Egypt said Saturday that investigations are underway into an incident targeting two vessels at port to identify the culprit.

In a statement, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said some foreign media outlets had recently published "inaccurate and false reports" about the incident.

"Investigations are still ongoing to determine all the circumstances surrounding the incident and identify the party responsible," the ministry said.

It urged foreign media outlets and correspondents based in Egypt and abroad to verify information concerning Egyptian affairs and the incident and to rely on official sources.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said Thursday that authorities are continuing to investigate the drone attack that targeted two gas vessels at Damietta Port, while calling for regional de-escalation to prevent further deterioration of the security situation.

On Wednesday evening, Egypt's Petroleum Ministry announced a fire aboard two gas vessels at the port, without specifying the cause. British maritime security firm Ambrey reported a drone attack targeted a US-owned, Marshall Islands-flagged floating liquefied natural gas storage facility at the port.

Asked about the attack, US President Donald Trump told reporters that the US would respond to Iran "very strongly."