US-Owned LNG Facility Struck by Drone Amid Iran Sanctions
A US-owned liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage facility in Egypt was struck by a drone, sparking fires on two vessels at Damietta port. The incident occurred on January 29th, with reports from Reuters citing British maritime security firm Ambrey. According to sources, the drone hit the floating storage unit 'Energos Winter', causing it to catch fire and spread to another vessel, 'GasLog Salem'.
The Egyptian Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources confirmed that fires had broken out on a regasification vessel and a storage vessel at Damietta port, but reported no casualties. Inchcape, a port services company, also announced the incident in a separate message.
In related news, the US Treasury Department added two Iranian entities to their sanctions list: the Persian Gulf Marine Insurance Company (PGMIC) and the Hormuz Safety Maritime Services Authority (HMSA). PGMIC is a company established by Iran Central Insurance, which brokers insurance products approved by the Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA), supported by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The US Treasury Department believes that HMSA makes payments in cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin to evade Western sanctions. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated, 'We will not allow Iran to hold global commerce hostage or use international shipping to fund the IRGC's terrorism, aggression, and repression.'