A tanker was hit by multiple projectiles in the Gulf waters north of Qatar, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency. The incident occurred approximately 51 nautical miles (94km) from Madinat al-Shamal and resulted in reported casualties.
Maritime intelligence firm Vanguard identified the vessel as the Acers, an oil and chemical tanker registered in Antigua and Barbuda. Reports indicate the ship was en route to the Strait of Hormuz, the critical waterway linking the Gulf to the Gulf of Oman.
The attack represents a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict, as it is one of the first strikes recorded so far west from the Strait of Hormuz since September 9. Martin Kelly, head of advisory at EOS Risk Group, noted the rarity of attacks reaching this depth into the Gulf.
Merchant vessels have faced repeated assaults across the region since the onset of the war between the US and Israel against Iran in February. The United Nations’ International Maritime Organization (IMO) reports that at least 24 seafarers have been killed in 93 confirmed incidents.
The last recorded attack resulting in fatalities occurred on September 9, when two sailors died after the Panama-flagged tanker El Gaia was struck in the Strait of Hormuz, near Oman’s Musandam peninsula.
On the same day, Vanguard issued a correction regarding a separate incident involving the Marshall Islands-flagged Dhalkut. Initial reports had suggested a fire aboard the vessel located about 40km east of Fujairah in the UAE, but the firm later clarified that there were no indications a fire had actually occurred.
The Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil and gas shipments typically pass, was effectively closed following the start of the Iran war. Tehran responded to the conflict with missile and drone attacks on commercial vessels, while the US imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports.
Although the US and Iran reached a preliminary agreement in June to cease hostilities and reopen the strait, the deal collapsed within weeks after Iranian attacks on shipping resumed and Washington reinstated its blockade. Iran maintained that it would not relinquish control over the waterway and continued to target vessels utilizing a southern route through Omani waters to bypass areas preferred by Tehran.
To ensure the continued flow of exports from Gulf Arab states, the US military has been providing protective escorts for tankers. According to analysts at shipping data company Kpler, crude exports through the waterway have averaged 12 million barrels per day over the past two weeks, representing approximately 80% of pre-war levels.
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