Tanker attacked by multiple projectiles near Qatar, UKMTO reports

A commercial tanker was struck by multiple projectiles off the north coast of Qatar on Wednesday, prompting an investigation into the attack that left an unspecified number of people injured or dead, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said. The vessel was hit 94 kilometres (58 miles) north of Madinat ash Shamal, well within Qatar's exclusive economic zone. Qatar has not publicly addressed the incident.

The ship's country of origin remains unknown. Industry observers noted the strike was unusual, marking the first reported attack on a tanker in the western Gulf in weeks. Maritime attacks typically concentrate in the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway that links the Gulf to the Gulf of Oman.

The violence comes against a backdrop of intensifying regional conflict. A US-Israel war on Iran began on February 28, leading Tehran to effectively close the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation. Washington has responded by maintaining a blockade on Iranian ports. Before the fighting started, the strait handled about 125 large commercial vessels daily and carried roughly 20 percent of global crude and liquefied natural gas supplies. UKMTO reported nine attacks on tankers in the strait this month alone.

Despite the growing threat to shipping lanes, energy markets have shown remarkable resilience. Middle East crude exports have climbed to, and recently surpassed, pre-war levels. Data from the tracking firm Kpler shows the seven-day moving average of regional crude shipments reached 18.3 million barrels per day (bpd) on September 30. That figure exceeds the average of about 18 million bpd recorded in the 12 months before the conflict began.