ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A commercial vessel was struck by an “unidentified projectile” near Qatar, the British maritime security monitor said on Sunday, as Qatar’s defense ministry later stated that a vessel coming from Abu Dhabi was “targeted by a drone.” The incident comes amid escalating tensions between Iran and the United States in the Persian Gulf.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said it received a report of “an incident 23nm [nautical miles] northeast of Doha, Qatar,” in which “the master of a bulk carrier” reported being “hit by an unknown projectile,” causing “a small fire that has been extinguished.”
“Authorities are investigating,” the monitor added, advising vessels to “transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO.”
The Qatari defense ministry later said in a statement that “a commercial cargo vessel in the country’s territorial waters - northeast of Mesaieed Port - coming from Abu Dhabi, was targeted by a drone on Sunday morning.”
“The incident resulted in a limited fire onboard the vessel, with no reported injuries,” the ministry added, noting that the vessel “continued its journey toward Mesaieed Port after the fire was brought under control” and that “the necessary measures were taken, and coordination was carried out with the relevant authorities.”
Earlier on Sunday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)navy command said that “any aggression toward Iranian oil tankers and commercial vessels will result in a heavy assault against one of the American centers in the region and enemy ships,” according to the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).
The outlet added that the IRGC navy on Friday “opened fire on US military destroyers” in response to what it described as “a ceasefire violation and an aggressive act by the US military against an Iranian oil tanker near the country’s southern port of Jask.”
The incident followed the approach of US destroyers toward the Strait of Hormuz, IRNA said, adding that, during a “highly coordinated operation,” the IRGC targeted the American destroyers “using a range of anti-ship ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as explosive-laden drones.”
Meanwhile, Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesperson of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters - which oversees Iran’s wartime operations - stated that henceforth “countries that comply with the United States in imposing sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran will definitely face problems in passing through the Strait of Hormuz,” as cited by the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim agency.