Qatari, Saudi Tankers Hit Near Hormuz In New Escalation

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Two vessels were targeted by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) while transiting the Strait of Hormuz late on July 6, Axios reported, warning that the attack that could provoke a retaliation by the United States military.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said that it received a report that a tanker had been hit by an unknown projectile about eight nautical miles east of Limah, off the coast of Oman.

“A tanker has reported being hit by an unknown projectile on the port side, causing a fire, whilst travelling southbound,” the agency said in an advisory notice.

UKMTO added that authorities were investigating the incident and advised vessels operating in the area to exercise caution and report any suspicious activity. No casualties or environmental damage were reported by the agency, a detachment of the Royal Navy.

A second commercial vessel was also struck by an Iranian projectile, a U.S. official told Axios, noting that both vessels sustained significant damage, but no casualties.

Bloomberg, citing people familiar with the matter, identified one of the vessels hit as that the Qatari-owned liquefied natural gas carrier Al Rekayyat.

Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB confirmed on X that a Qatari tanker attempting to transit the Omani route through the Strait of Hormuz with support from the U.S. Navy was targeted after ignoring repeated warnings from Iranian forces.

Maritime security sources later told Reuter the second vessel hit was the Wedyan, an oil supertanker owned by Saudi Arabia.

Late in June, two vessels were targeted by Iran along a route in the Strait of Hormuz that was opened by Oman in coordination with the International Maritime Organization. In response, the U.S. launched strikes against the Islamic Republic for three consecutive nights. The IRGC retaliated by striking American bases in both Kuwait and Bahrain.

This clash marked the first direct confrontation between the U.S. and Iran since a memorandum of understanding to end the war was signed earlier that month.

The latest attacks came after a round of indirect talks in Qatar concluded last week with no sign of headway toward a lasting peace. A U.S. response is expected, and Iran will certainly retaliate. However, it is highly unlikely that the deal will collapse as a result.

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