Iranian missile hit oil tanker in Qatari waters, Qatar says
An LNG tanker is seen at the Negishi LNG Terminal, which is jointly operated by Tokyo Gas and JERA, in Yokohama, Japan October 17, 2019. Picture taken October 17, 2019. PHOTO: REUTERS
An oil tanker leased to state-owned QatarEnergy was hit by an Iranian cruise missile on Wednesday in Qatari waters, the defence ministry said.
Qatar was targeted by three cruise missiles coming from Iran; two were intercepted while the third hit the Aqua 1 fuel oil tanker, but caused no casualties.
A tanker was damaged in a suspected Iranian missile strike off the coast of Qatar, triggering fresh tensions in the Gulf region. According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO)the incident occurred about 17 nautical miles north of Doha. The projectile reportedly pic.twitter.com/yTy4s1huMW
The vessel, located 17 nautical miles (31 km) north of Qatar's Ras Laffan industrial hub, the site of the world's largest gas plant, sustained damage above the waterline, but no environmental impact was reported, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) and QatarEnergy said.
Threats to maritime traffic are growing as the US-Israel conflict with Iran intensifies across the region.
Read: Airline Emirates says Iranian nationals barred from entering or transiting UAE
Iran has launched a series of attacks on Gulf oil and gas facilities following Israeli attacks on its own gas infrastructure. The war has knocked out 17% of Qatar's liquefied natural gas (LNG) export capacity, threatening supplies to Europe and Asia.
Gulf countries, some home to US bases, have been repeatedly fired on by Tehran during the US-Israeli war, with concerns mounting about Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz and ability to use the vital waterway, a conduit for a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas, as a bargaining chip.
While the United States has said talks with Iran were ongoing, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Tuesday that he has been receiving direct messages from US special envoy Steve Witkoff, but those do not constitute "negotiations", Qatar's Al Jazeera TV cited him as saying.