Two tankers were attacked off the coast of Qatar in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency (UKMTO) announced following earlier reports of an Iranian missile attack on a Qatari vessel in the region.
In the first incident, the ship was struck by an unknown projectile; in the second, the vessel was hit by a drone of unknown origin, UKMTO said.
Both ships sustained structural damage, according to UKMTO, though no casualties or environmental impact were reported in either case.
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The UKMTO added that the incidents are still under investigation.
Earlier on Tuesday, Axios cited a US official as saying that Iran fired at least two missiles at commercial ships transiting through the strait, following a UKMTO report of an unknown projectile causing a fire onboard a vessel near Oman.
According to Reuters, the captain of the Qatari Al Rekayyat LNG tanker made a “Mayday” radio call after the attack, saying the ship’s engine room was on fire and “full of smoke.”
The captain added that he was unable to assess any further damage to the ship.
Qatar: Iran bears full legal responsibility
Qatari Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Majed Al Ansari released a statement later on Tuesday criticizing the attack, describing the incident as a clear violation of international law.
Al Ansari added that Iran bore full legal responsibility for the attack, urging the country to immediately halt actions threatening regional security and maritime navigation.
Danya Saperstein and Reuters contributed to this report.
