Qatar demands Iran halt attacks on shipping after strike on Qatari vessel near Hormuz

The Strait of Hormuz ranks among the world's most critical energy chokepoints, carrying a substantial share of global oil and liquefied natural gas exports from Gulf producing nations.

Qatar condemned Iran on Tuesday over an attack on a Qatari owned vessel near the Strait of Hormuz, calling on Tehran to immediately halt actions that threaten maritime security and global energy supplies.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al Ansari said in a statement posted on social media that the targeting of the Qatari owned liquefied natural gas carrier Al Rekayyat while it transited the strategic waterway represented an unacceptable attack on the security and safety of international maritime navigation. He said the strike also endangered global energy supplies and amounted to a serious and clear violation of international law, particularly rules guaranteeing freedom of navigation and safe passage through international waterways.

Ansari demanded that Iran immediately cease all practices undermining regional security or threatening the safety of international shipping, and he urged Tehran to stop endangering global energy supplies and regional resources in pursuit of narrow interests. He added that Qatar holds Iran fully legally responsible for the attack and for any resulting damage or consequences that follow.

Reports indicate the Al Rekayyat ranked among two commercial vessels struck by Iranian missiles near the Strait of Hormuz late Monday while transiting the waterway. The strikes caused significant damage to both vessels but resulted in no casualties. Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB, citing unnamed sources, claimed a Qatari oil tanker attempting to pass through the Omani route of the strait with support from the US Navy had ignored repeated warnings from Iranian forces before officials targeted it.

The Strait of Hormuz ranks among the world’s most critical energy chokepoints, carrying a substantial share of global oil and liquefied natural gas exports from Gulf producing nations.

Iranian lawmaker Alaeddin Boroujerdi, a member of parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, warned Tuesday against taking action in the strait without coordinating with Iran, following separate reports of an attack on a tanker off the coast of Oman. According to Iran’s state broadcaster, Boroujerdi said any action taken in the Strait of Hormuz without coordinating with Iran is doomed to fail. He insisted Iran maintains control over the waterway, describing the position as one determined at the highest levels of Iran’s government and shaped by the recent war Iran fought against the United States and Israel.

Boroujerdi said Iranian lawmakers will soon approve legislation governing management of the Strait of Hormuz, adding that relevant government bodies will be required to fully implement its provisions once passed. He said Iran pursues any action related to the strait strictly within the framework of its own national interests and security concerns.

Meanwhile, Iran’s foreign minister said Tuesday that talks aimed at reaching a final agreement between Tehran and Washington cannot begin while American threats continue, responding directly to President Donald Trump’s recent warning that the United States would finish the job if no deal materializes. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote in a social media post that paragraph 13 of the memorandum of understanding clearly states that negotiations on a final deal will not commence if threats continue, urging Washington to honor its prior commitments. Araghchi’s post referenced an interim agreement signed last month between Iran and the United States, which calls on both sides to refrain from threatening or using force against one another.

According to a separate media report, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fired at least two missiles late Monday at commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Citing two American officials, the Axios news website reported that the United States is likely to respond with strikes against Iranian targets following the attacks. Iran’s state broadcaster, citing unnamed sources, wrote that a Qatari oil tanker intending to pass through the Omani route of the strait with US Navy support came under attack after ignoring repeated warnings.

The report followed an earlier notice from the UK Maritime Trade Operations center indicating that a tanker had been hit off the coast of Oman, sparking a fire aboard the vessel. The center said it received a report of an incident located eight nautical miles east of Limah, describing a tanker that had been struck by an unknown projectile on its port side while traveling southbound, triggering the fire. Authorities said they were investigating the incident and advised vessels operating in the area to exercise caution and report any suspicious activity. The center reported no casualties or environmental damage resulting from the strike.