Qatar’s Ministry of Defence confirmed on Sunday that the incident resulted in “a limited fire onboard” with no reported injuries.
Qatar has condemned the targeting of a commercial cargo vessel in its territorial waters in northeast of Mesaieed Port, after it was struck by a drone while en route from Abu Dhabi on Sunday morning.
Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the incident is “a flagrant violation of the principle of freedom of navigation”.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs considers this attack a flagrant violation of the principle of freedom of navigation and the provisions of international law, and a dangerous and unacceptable escalation that threatens the security and safety of commercial maritime passages and vital supplies in the region,” said the statement from the ministry.
It stressed that targeting commercial or civilian vessels — “regardless of the party responsible” — represents a serious breach of international law.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations earlier on Sunday had reported that a cargo vessel was struck by an “unknown projectile” 23 nautical miles northeast of the Qatari capital Doha.
Qatar’s Ministry of Defence, hours later, confirmed the incident and said that it resulted in “a limited fire onboard” with no reported injuries.
After the fire was brought under control, the vessel resumed its voyage toward Mesaieed Port, the ministry added. It noted that “the necessary measures were taken, and coordination was carried out with the relevant authorities.”
In it’s condemnation, Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the attack amounted to “a dangerous and unacceptable escalation that threatens the security and safety of commercial maritime routes and vital supplies in the region”.
It stressed that targeting commercial or civilian vessels — “regardless of the party responsible” — represents a serious breach of international law.
The ministry also said Qatar is monitoring the situation in coordination with relevant authorities, as well as regional and international partners and that competent bodies will take the necessary measures to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Regional tensions have remained high since the United States and Israel carried out strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, prompting retaliatory attacks by Tehran targeting Israel and US allies across the Gulf, as well as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
A ceasefire brokered through Pakistani mediation came into effect on April 8, though negotiations in Islamabad did not result in a permanent agreement.
The truce was later extended by US President Donald Trump without a specified deadline, allowing diplomatic efforts toward a long-term resolution to continue.