A liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier belonging to Nakilat, Qatar’s state-owned shipping company, was struck by a projectile and caught fire while exiting the Strait of Hormuz near the coast of Oman. Bloomberg reported the news, citing sources familiar with the matter.
According to Bloomberg, the vessel had loaded its cargo of liquefied natural gas at Qatar’s Ras Laffan port.
Simultaneously, Axios quoted two U.S. officials as saying that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) fired at least two missiles at commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Monday night. According to one of the officials, two ships sustained significant damage, but no casualties have been reported.
Reuters also cited the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), which noted that an unidentified projectile struck an oil tanker approximately eight nautical miles east of Lima, Oman, causing a fire. The agency stated that it has not yet been able to independently verify the connection between this incident and the Axios report.
Meanwhile, the Associated Press wrote that Iranian state television, without claiming responsibility for the attack, attributed the incident to the vessels ignoring warnings regarding designated transit routes. The Wall Street Journal also quoted sources as saying that the IRGC had previously warned ships over marine radio that “our missiles and drones are ready to fire.”
