Oil Tanker Struck by Projectiles North of Qatar

A tanker was struck by multiple projectiles north of Qatar in the Gulf, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency. The incident, which occurred 51 nautical miles from Madinat al-Shamal, resulted in reported casualties.

Maritime intelligence firm Vanguard identified the vessel as the Acers, an oil and chemical tanker flagged in Antigua and Barbuda. The ship was reportedly laden with cargo and sailing towards the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway connecting the Gulf to the Gulf of Oman.

This event adds to a series of attacks on merchant vessels in the region. Since the beginning of the war involving the US and Iran in February, at least 24 seafarers have been killed in 93 confirmed incidents, according to the UN's International Maritime Organization (IMO). The last reported incident resulting in fatalities was on September 9, when two sailors died in an attack on the Panama-flagged tanker El Gaia in the Strait of Hormuz.

Martin Kelly, head of advisory at EOS Risk Group, noted that this is the first reported attack on a ship this far west of the Strait of Hormuz since September 9.

Separately, Vanguard reported a fire on board another tanker on Thursday in the Gulf of Oman, approximately 40km east of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates. This vessel was likely the Marshall Islands-flagged Dhalkut, though the cause of the fire remains unclear and has not been reported by the UKMTO.

The Strait of Hormuz is a vital shipping lane, typically handling a fifth of global oil and gas shipments. It experienced significant disruption earlier in the year due to missile and drone attacks and a US naval blockade. While a preliminary agreement to end hostilities and reopen the strait was reached in June, it collapsed weeks later amidst renewed Iranian attacks on shipping and the reinstatement of the US blockade.

Iran has maintained a degree of control over the waterway, targeting vessels using a southern route through Omani waters to avoid its preferred route through Iranian territorial waters. The US military has been providing protection for tankers traversing the Strait of Hormuz to ensure the continued flow of exports from Gulf Arab states. Recent data indicates that crude exports through the waterway have averaged 12 million barrels per day over the past two weeks, nearing 80% of pre-war levels, according to shipping data company Kpler.