A commercial oil tanker was struck by two unidentified projectiles in the Persian Gulf approximately 50 nautical miles north of Madinat ash Shamal, Qatar, late on November 4 at 23:20 GMT, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) confirmed on Thursday.
The maritime security incident occurs at a critical juncture as Qatar steps up diplomatic mediation efforts to de-escalate the military confrontation between the United States and Iran. A spokesperson for Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted on Tuesday that both Washington and Tehran are currently evaluating proposed diplomatic frameworks, with high-level negotiations remaining active.
In a separate maritime development, Qatar’s state gas transport shipping firm, Nakilat, announced on Sunday that its Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) carrier Al Mayeda was hit by unidentified objects while transiting Gulf waters on October 30.
Nakilat confirmed that no crew members sustained injuries and no environmental contamination was recorded. The company added that the vessel remains fully operational and safe while technical damage assessments are being finalized.
With input from Reuters.
For more details: Navamalayalam.com