Tanker hit near Qatar as Iran reports mine strikes in Hormuz
British military confirms projectile strikes off Qatar while Tehran claims three vessels hit mines; Putin meets Iranian security chief.
By James Foster ·
The Persian Gulf has seen increased maritime violence since the U.S. and Israel launched attacks on Iran in February. On Wednesday, a tanker was struck by two projectiles off the coast of Qatar, the British military announced on Thursday. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center placed the incident north of Madinat ash Shamal. The organization did not identify the vessel or its flag. The crew status and extent of damage remain unconfirmed. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. The center noted last month that accurate reporting is difficult because many ships refuse to file incident reports.
Iranian state television provided a different account of events in the region on Thursday. It reported that two oil tankers and a towboat struck naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz. All three vessels caught fire. The report did not specify casualties or the nationalities of the ships. This information could not be independently verified. The state broadcast quoted the Revolutionary Guard as saying it seized two U.S. drones in the airspace above the strait. The Guard frequently issues similar statements regarding vessel targeting in the waterway.
Diplomatic movements occurred simultaneously in Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Mohsen Rezaei, the head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, on Thursday. The Kremlin released images showing Yuri Ushakov, the Kremlin foreign affairs adviser, and Igor Kostyukov, the chief of Russian military intelligence, attending the meeting. The Russian Foreign Ministry maintained its advice for citizens to avoid travel to Iran. Spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated at a briefing that recommendations remain unchanged due to remaining risks of new escalation around Iran.
In the capital of Jordan, Amman, an assailant killed a security officer near the Sri Lankan Embassy on Thursday. Jordanian authorities classified the event as a terrorist act. The Public Security Directorate reported that the officer was assaulted with a sharp object. State-run Al-Mamlaka TV said the arrested assailant attempted to seize the officer's weapon. A second officer intervened, resulting in injuries to both the attacker and the second officer.
Oman and Iran discussed maritime safety by phone. Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi and his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, spoke about resuming navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. The Omani Foreign Ministry said the ministers confirmed the importance of reaching understandings to ensure the safety of maritime passages.
In the Gaza Strip, health officials reported three Palestinian deaths on Thursday. Awda Hospital in Bureij said a boy was killed by Israeli gunfire. Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis reported a woman was fatally shot in a separate incident. An Israeli airstrike in Deir al-Balah killed one person. The Israeli military acknowledged the airstrike in Deir al-Balah but did not immediately respond to requests for comments on the gunfire in Bureij and Khan Younis.
Yemen’s Houthi-run Ministry of Health reported seven deaths and six injuries from two Saudi airstrikes on Thursday. The ministry did not provide evidence. The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted a cruise missile over Medina province. Houthi military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree denied targeting Medina, stating operations focus on Saudi oil facilities and military bases. The Associated Press could not independently verify these claims.
