Drone Strikes Commercial Vessel in Qatari Waters
DOHA: A commercial ship was hit by a drone in Qatari waters on Sunday, according to the country’s defense ministry. This incident follows recent tensions between the United States and Iran, with both sides exchanging accusations as they await a response from Tehran regarding ongoing negotiations.
The Qatari ministry stated that the cargo vessel, which was traveling from Abu Dhabi and sailing northeast of Mesaieed Port, was targeted on Sunday morning. Thankfully, the fire on board was quickly controlled, and no injuries were reported. The ship continued its journey to Mesaieed Port without significant issues.
Earlier reports from the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center indicated that a bulk carrier had been struck by what was described as an “unknown projectile” about 23 nautical miles northeast of Doha. They confirmed that a small fire occurred and has since been put out, with no casualties or environmental damage reported.
While there was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, Iran’s Fars news agency mentioned, citing a source, that the vessel involved was operating under the US flag.
This incident comes shortly after a US fighter jet disabled two Iranian-flagged tankers in the Gulf of Oman on Friday, preventing them from reaching Iran. Following this, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards issued threats to target American sites and ships in the region if their vessels were attacked.
