A mysterious drone strike on gas vessels at Egypt’s Damietta port has ignited fears of a dangerous escalation near the Suez Canal.
The fiery explosion targeted an American-owned tanker, threatening the last remaining safe passage for critical Saudi oil exports.
While Egyptian officials reported no casualties, analysts warn the assault aims to drag Cairo into a widening regional conflagration.
This Mediterranean strike marks a volatile expansion of the conflict initiated by US and Israeli attacks on Iran last February.
Iran subsequently targeted American forces in Jordan, while joint US and Saudi forces launched retaliatory precision strikes in Iraq.
Further overnight operations saw the US military bombard several Iranian command centres, resulting in three reported civilian casualties.
Concurrently, an Iranian strike devastated northern Kuwait, and Jordan successfully intercepted five incoming ballistic missiles aimed at its territory.
Tehran has since suggested Israel may be orchestrating false-flag operations to intentionally widen the scope of the war.
Amid the chaos, Saudi Arabia urged Washington to halt the escalation, even as global benchmark oil prices spiked toward ninety dollars.