A tanker was struck by two projectiles off Qatar’s coast in the Persian Gulf on Wednesday, the British military said on Thursday. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre said the attack took place 50 nautical miles (92 kilometres) north of Qatar’s city of Madinat ash Shamal. It did not identify the tanker or which country’s flag it was sailing under. The status of the crew was unconfirmed, and the extent of the damage and any environmental impact were unknown. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
Iranian state television reported on Thursday that two oil tankers and a towboat caught fire after striking mines in the Strait of Hormuz. That claim could not be independently verified, and no details about possible casualties or the vessels’ flags were provided. Quoting a statement by the Revolutionary Guard, the report said the Guard also seized two US drones in the airspace over the strait.
Tehran closed the strait, through which some 20 per cent of the world’s oil supply passed during peacetime, after the US and Israel attacked Iran in February, launching the war.
Source: The Associated Press
