Qatar has accused Iran of attacking one of its liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, escalating tensions in the Gulf as Iran continued funeral ceremonies for its slain Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The incident occurred on Tuesday when two commercial tankers were reportedly struck in the strategic waterway, raising fresh concerns about maritime security and the stability of global energy supplies.
According to Qatari authorities, the LNG carrier Al Rekayyat was hit overnight by a drone, sparking a fire in the vessel’s engine room while sailing through the Strait of Hormuz.
Although all crew members were reported safe and were being evacuated, maritime security sources warned that the fire could put the vessel at risk of explosion.
A distress call reviewed by Reuters captured the vessel’s captain reporting the attack.
“Mayday, mayday, mayday. This is vessel Al Rekayyat. We are being hit by drone on port side, top of engine room. Status: engine room fire and full of smoke. Unable to assess further damage,” the captain said.
A second vessel, the Saudi-flagged crude oil tanker Wedyan, was also damaged off the coast of Oman, although the cause of the incident was not immediately known.
Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari condemned the alleged attack as a violation of international law and a threat to global energy supplies and freedom of navigation.
He called on Iran to immediately cease actions that endanger maritime security, insisting Tehran bears full legal responsibility for the incident and any resulting consequences.
Iran had not commented on the allegations as of press time, while no group had claimed responsibility. A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said preliminary assessments indicated Iran had fired at two commercial vessels.
In a separate incident later on Tuesday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that another tanker sustained minor damage after being struck by a drone while transiting the Strait of Hormuz but was able to continue its voyage.
The attacks were the first reported in the strategic waterway since nationwide mourning began for Khamenei, highlighting continuing security risks in one of the world’s busiest energy shipping lanes.
Meanwhile, funeral ceremonies for the late Iranian leader continued in the holy city of Qom, where hundreds of thousands of mourners lined the streets as the caskets of Khamenei and members of his family were carried through the city.
Many mourners waved Iranian flags and carried banners honouring Khamenei, while some chanted anti-American slogans and vowed revenge for his killing.
The funeral procession followed a massive ceremony held in Tehran on Monday and forms part of several days of state mourning before the late leader is buried after visits to Shi’ite holy sites in neighbouring Iraq.
The latest developments come despite a 60-day interim peace agreement reached last month to create room for negotiations aimed at ending months of conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
However, talks held in Qatar last week ended without a breakthrough, while U.S. President Donald Trump has warned that military action could resume if diplomacy fails.
Reflecting renewed concerns over regional stability, global oil prices rose more than two per cent on Tuesday following reports of the tanker attacks.
