A tanker sailing off the north coast of Qatar reported being struck by multiple projectiles, causing an unspecified number of casualties, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said on Wednesday.
The incident took place 51 nautical miles (94 kilometres) off the Qatari coast, about 500 kilometres from the Strait of Hormuz. UKMTO said authorities were investigating. It did not say where the ship came from.
Ships in the Gulf have come under repeated attack since the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran in late February. Iran has blockaded the strait since then, and the United States has imposed its own blockade of Iranian ports. No US strikes on Iranian targets have been reported since 1 September, and diplomatic efforts have been deadlocked for months.
Around a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passed through the strait before the war. Disruption to Gulf shipping can affect fuel and freight costs in import-dependent countries such as Sri Lanka.
