Did Iran Attack a U.S.-Linked LNG Asset in Egypt? What Benny Johnson’s Video Claims — and What Officials Confirm

A July 29 video by commentator Benny Johnson presents the fire at Egypt’s Damietta port as a possible expansion of the Iran conflict. The broader military confrontation is real, but several of the video’s central claims remain unconfirmed.

On July 29, 2026, commentator Benny Johnson published a video titled:

“Trump Thought U.S. Assets Were Safe in Egypt… Now The Nile is in FLAMES! Dark Suicide Drone Attacks.”

The video connects two rapidly developing stories: an Iranian missile attack against U.S. forces in Jordan and a fire involving liquefied natural gas infrastructure at Egypt’s Mediterranean port of Damietta.

Johnson suggests that the Damietta incident may represent a drone attack against a U.S.-linked commercial asset and possibly the opening of a new front in the regional war.

The broader conflict between the United States and Iran is officially documented. However, the most consequential claim in the video — that Iran attacked an American asset in Egypt — had not been officially established at the time of publication.

What Benny Johnson Says Happened

Johnson begins by discussing an Iranian ballistic-missile attack against U.S. forces in Jordan.

The video includes reporting that five incoming missiles were intercepted and that President Donald Trump was preparing a forceful military response.

Johnson then turns to the Damietta incident. He says a drone struck a floating liquefied natural gas storage unit or associated vessel at the Egyptian port, causing a fire that spread to another ship.

According to the account presented in the video:

a drone struck LNG-related infrastructure at Damietta;
the resulting fire affected more than one vessel;
crews were evacuated safely;
the affected unit was connected to an American company;
the incident could represent an attack on a U.S. commercial interest;
Iran may have been responsible;
the attack could mark the expansion of the conflict into Egypt.

But Johnson also acknowledges that responsibility had not been confirmed and that no organization had claimed the alleged attack. His presentation relies on preliminary reports, maritime-security assessments, unnamed sources and social-media material.

The U.S.-Iran Military Conflict Is Real

The central military background of the video is not fabricated.

U.S. Central Command officially states that Operation Epic Fury began on February 28, 2026, at the direction of the president. CENTCOM has since published repeated announcements concerning strikes against Iranian military targets, missile and drone interceptions and U.S. maritime operations in the region.

The White House has described the operation as focused on Iran’s offensive missiles and military capabilities. Its official March 3 statement said Iran was continuing to launch ballistic missiles against military and civilian locations across the region.

CENTCOM’s July releases also show that American military operations against Iran were continuing immediately before Johnson published his video. The command listed a thirteenth consecutive night of strikes against Iranian military targets on July 23 and joint U.S.-Saudi strikes against Iran-backed sites in Iraq on July 28.

Therefore, Johnson is correct that the United States and Iran were engaged in an active and widening military confrontation.

Trump’s Reported Warning to Iran

Johnson’s video includes a Fox News report attributing an unusually blunt threat to President Trump following the Iranian attack.

The White House’s own “Wire” page linked to the Fox News report under the headline stating that Trump said the United States would “beat the f—— s— out of them” following what was described as an Iranian surprise attack. The White House page also linked to Trump’s Fox & Friends interview.

This means the quote was not merely invented by Johnson. It was publicly amplified through an official White House webpage.

However, the White House Wire item links to outside coverage rather than providing a complete official transcript of the president’s conversation. The precise wording should therefore still be attributed to the Fox News report.

Was Damietta Attacked by a Drone?

This is where the available evidence becomes less certain.

Johnson says maritime-security sources assessed that a drone struck a floating LNG storage unit and caused a fire that spread to another vessel.

But the video itself notes that the Egyptian petroleum authorities confirmed the fire without publicly identifying a drone as its cause. It also states that responsibility for the incident remained unclear.

At the time this article was prepared, Midtown Tribune could not locate an accessible official statement from the Egyptian government that established:

that the fire was caused by a drone;
that the drone came from Iran;
that an Iranian proxy organization launched it;
that the target was selected because of its U.S. connection;
that Egypt had become a new theater of war.

Likewise, the reviewed White House and CENTCOM materials did not publicly identify the Damietta fire as an Iranian attack.

That does not prove that the drone report is false. It means the attribution remained preliminary.

Was It a “U.S. Asset”?

Johnson repeatedly describes the damaged unit as American or U.S.-owned.

That description requires careful qualification.

An asset can be connected to the United States in several different ways:

It can be owned by the U.S. government.
It can be operated by the U.S. military.
It can belong to a privately owned American company.
It can be managed by an American company while registered or flagged elsewhere.
It can serve an international commercial project involving several countries.

These categories are not interchangeable.

Based on the information presented in Johnson’s video, the alleged American connection appears to involve commercial ownership or operation — not a U.S. military base or a facility owned by the federal government.

Calling it a “U.S.-linked commercial asset” is therefore more precise than simply calling it a “U.S. asset.”

Is “The Nile in Flames” an Accurate Description?

The headline phrase “Now The Nile is in FLAMES” is clearly designed for maximum emotional impact.

The incident described in the video occurred at Damietta, a Mediterranean port in the Nile Delta. The video does not show the Nile River itself burning, nor does it describe a nationwide Egyptian emergency.

Johnson’s own account says:

the fire was brought under control;
no deaths were reported;
no injuries were reported;
crews were evacuated;
affected vessels were moved away while authorities assessed the damage.

The phrase “the Nile is in flames” is therefore a dramatic metaphor, not a literal description of the event.

What Official Sources Confirm

Based on the official U.S. sources reviewed for this article, the following points are supported:

Operation Epic Fury is a real U.S. military operation against Iran.
The United States has conducted repeated strikes against Iranian military targets.
Iran has continued to use ballistic missiles and drones in the regional conflict.
U.S. forces have intercepted Iranian missiles and unmanned aircraft.
The conflict has affected maritime security and commercial shipping.
U.S. and Saudi forces conducted strikes against Iran-backed sites in Iraq on July 28.
The White House publicly circulated the report of Trump’s threat to retaliate after the Iranian attack.

What Has Not Been Officially Confirmed

The following claims should not yet be presented as established facts:

Iran carried out the Damietta incident.
An Iranian suicide drone struck the LNG unit.
The intended target was an American company or American property.
The affected unit was owned by the U.S. government.
The incident was coordinated with the missile attack in Jordan.
Egypt has become a new front in the war.
The incident will necessarily cause a major increase in global LNG or oil prices.

These may be plausible hypotheses, but they require additional evidence.

How the Video Blends Facts and Inferences

Johnson’s video combines three different levels of information.

The first level consists of confirmed developments: the U.S.-Iran conflict, American military strikes and Iranian missile and drone operations.

The second consists of preliminary reporting: a fire at Damietta and claims from maritime sources that a drone may have been involved.

The third consists of interpretation: that Iran was responsible, that a U.S. asset was deliberately selected and that Egypt has become a new theater of war.

The first level is well documented. The second may prove accurate but remained under investigation. The third was still largely an inference.

Viewers may miss those distinctions because the confirmed and unconfirmed claims are presented together inside one urgent narrative.

Midtown Tribune Assessment

Benny Johnson’s video is not based on an entirely fictional event. It addresses a real fire, a real regional conflict and real threats of American retaliation.

But the title and presentation move beyond what official sources had established.

The most accurate summary available at the time of publication is:

A fire affected LNG-related vessels or infrastructure at Egypt’s Damietta port. Maritime sources reportedly assessed that a drone may have been involved, but neither Iranian responsibility nor the deliberate targeting of a U.S.-linked asset had been officially confirmed.

Until Egyptian or American authorities release additional evidence, the Damietta incident should be described as a suspected drone attack — not as a confirmed Iranian strike against the United States.

Official Sources

Video reviewed:
Benny Johnson — “Trump Thought U.S. Assets Were Safe in Egypt… Now The Nile is in FLAMES!”