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Tanker struck north of Qatar; casualties reported

A tanker north of Qatar was struck by several projectiles, Britain’s maritime security centre said, reporting casualties without a toll. The vessel and the attacker were not identified. Authorities are investigating an incident west of the Strait of Hormuz, amid continuing attacks on commercial shipping and restrictions on Gulf transit.

Geopolitics··Midday
Torn and bent railing above a soot-marked tanker deck, with pipes receding toward an open sea horizon.

Strike reported north of Madinat ash Shamal

A tanker north of Qatar reported being struck by multiple projectiles on Wednesday. Britain’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre, UKMTO, which monitors security incidents involving commercial vessels, reported casualties. The vessel’s name had not been released, and authorities began investigating the incident.[1], [2]

The reported location was about 94 kilometres north of Madinat ash Shamal, a town on Qatar’s northern coast. The initial notice did not identify the origin of the projectiles or give the number or condition of those affected. Qatar did not immediately comment.[1]

Incident lies west of Hormuz

The tanker was west of the Strait of Hormuz, where shipping attacks have continued during the war involving the United States and Iran. Iran’s restrictions on transit and the US naval blockade have affected Gulf shipping. Responsibility for this particular strike remained unidentified.[1]

Shipping passage carried a major share of energy trade

Before the war began on February 28, roughly 125 commercial ships used Hormuz each day. The passage handled about 20 percent of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas trade. UKMTO had separately reported nine attacks in the strait this month in a Tuesday assessment.[1]

References

  1. News sourceAl JazeeraTanker struck by multiple projectiles north of Qatar↩1↩2↩3↩4
  2. News sourceThe Maritime ExecutiveTanker struck north of Qatar; casualties reported↩
Russia-Ukraine warMiddle East balance of powerEnergy transition and climate

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