Qatari LNG Tanker and Saudi Oil Vessel Damaged Near Strait of Hormuz Amid Reported Missile Strike

A Qatari liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier and a Saudi‑flagged crude oil tanker sustained damage near the Strait of Hormuz following reports that Iran’s Revolutionary Guards launched missile attacks overnight, according to sources cited by Reuters.

The Qatari vessel, Al Rekayyat, operated by Nakilat, was loaded with LNG when it was struck on its port side. Distress signals were transmitted immediately, with the captain issuing a mayday call describing a drone hit above the engine room that ignited a fire and filled the compartment with smoke. “Unable to assess further damage,” the captain reported in the recorded transmission reviewed by Reuters.

This marks the first time a Qatari LNG ship has been targeted since the outbreak of the Iran conflict in late February, during which missile strikes previously caused extensive damage to Qatar’s LNG infrastructure. The incident underscores the vulnerability of global energy supply chains transiting through one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints.

Maritime security sources also confirmed that a Saudi supertanker, believed to be the Wedyan, was damaged off Oman’s coast. The vessel is managed by Bahri, though the exact cause of the damage remains unclear.

Neither Nakilat, Bahri, QatarEnergy, nor official media offices in Doha and Riyadh immediately responded to requests for comment.

Reacting to the incident, Dr. Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari, Advisor to the Prime Minister and Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, condemned the attack on Al Rekayyat as “an unacceptable assault on international maritime security, global energy supplies, and a grave violation of international law.” He demanded that Iran cease actions undermining regional stability and refrain from endangering navigation in pursuit of narrow interests.

Qatar has held Iran fully legally responsible for the attack and any resulting damages, stressing that freedom of navigation and safe passage through international waterways must be upheld.

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