Tanker Attacks in Hormuz: A new shipping scare hit the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday when a third commercial tanker was struck within 24 hours. The narrow waterway is one of the busiest energy routes in the world, so even one attack can make nerves jump. UK Maritime Trade Operations, the British naval group that watches ships in the region, said the vessel was hit by an unidentified projectile and may have structural damage. No one was hurt and there was no report of oil spilling into the sea. UKMTO also told ships to stay careful and “to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity.”
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“The tanker was struck by an unidentified projectile and is believed to have structural damage,” it said. The agency added that checks were still going on and there was no immediate sign of pollution. This fresh hit came after two other tankers were reported attacked earlier the same day, which made the whole area feel even more shaky.
Qatar says its LNG ship was Attacked
The biggest alarm came from the Qatari LNG tanker Al Rekayyat. Reuters reported that the ship was hit by a drone and that a fire broke out in the engine room. The captain sent a desperate radio call for help. He said, “Mayday mayday mayday. This is vessel Al Rekayyat, LNG vessel Al Rekayyat. We are being hit by drone on port side, top of engine room,”.
He also said, “Status: engine room fire and full of smoke. Unable to assess further damage.” Crew members got out safely, but maritime officials warned that the ship could still be in danger because it was carrying LNG, which is highly flammable.
Qatar reacted strongly and blamed Iran for the strike. Foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari called it “an unacceptable attack on the security of international navigation and global energy supplies” and “a clear violation of international law.”
He also said Doha held Tehran “fully legally responsible” for the attack and for anything that happens next. Reuters said a Saudi-flagged crude oil tanker, believed to be Wedyan, was also damaged near Oman, although officials have not yet said exactly what hit it.
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Pressure rises between Washington and Tehran
These attacks landed at a very tense moment. Reuters said they came despite an interim memorandum of understanding and a 60-day temporary ceasefire between Washington and Tehran. The point of that agreement was to calm things down and give both sides space to talk.
But the talks in Qatar last week ended without a breakthrough, and shipping in the Strait of Hormuz is now back under a dark cloud again. Reuters and other reports said the attacks were the first major hits on commercial shipping since Iran entered a period of national mourning after the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei earlier this year.
The war of words did not stop there. U.S. President Donald Trump again warned Iran that military action was still possible if talks failed. He told reporters, “We’re either going to make a deal or we’re going to finish the job…. We can knock down their bridges in one hour, we can knock out their energy supply,”.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi pushed back and said talks could not continue under threat. On X, he wrote, “Honor your signature,” referring to the ceasefire memorandum.
