Egypt in July 2026: the most important developments in security
In Egypt in July 2026, the main security event came at the end of the month: a drone attack on the Mediterranean port of Damietta. On July 30 the cabinet said the drone caused a fire on two gas ships, that operations continued and that drone debris had been recovered. It was the first drone attack on Egyptian territory since the Middle East conflict widened, following US strikes on Iran. Investigators are working to determine where the drone came from, and the cabinet said no party had claimed responsibility. The Houthis denied targeting any vessel at Damietta, Jordan condemned the attack, and Iran warned of Israeli "false-flag operations" without providing evidence.
The Red Sea was the second area of concern. On July 5 a cargo ship off the coast of Yemen reported being attacked by unknown assailants. In mid-July Iran reportedly told the Houthis to prepare to close the Red Sea route if the United States attacked Iran's power grid, while US strikes on Iran continued for a sixth day with Iranian retaliation. After the Houthis declared a blockade of Saudi Arabia on July 20, they forced Saudi oil tankers to turn back on July 21, and a Chinese tanker also reversed course. On July 30 Saudi Arabia announced a maritime defense coalition.
Egypt also condemned terrorist plots targeting Morocco and an attack on a Qatari gas tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, and the head of its General Intelligence Service discussed security cooperation with Libya's deputy defense minister.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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