Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari urged Iran to “immediately cease” actions threatening regional security and maritime navigation, warning it would be held responsible for all damages and consequences of the attack.
Qatar has condemned the unprovoked attack on one of its vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, holding Iran “fully legally responsible” and demanding an immediate halt to the “grave & explicit violation of international law”.
The Qatari tanker Al-Rekayyat was targeted while transiting near the strait in the early hours of 7 July, prompting a sharply worded statement from Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) calling the incident “an unacceptable attack on the security and safety of international maritime navigation”.
“We demand that the Islamic Republic of Iran immediately cease all practices that undermine regional security or threaten the safety of international maritime navigation,” MoFA’s official spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari said in a post on X, adding that Iran must “refrain from endangering global energy supplies and the resources of the countries of the region in pursuit of narrow interests”.
Qatar said it holds Iran “fully legally responsible for this attack and for any resulting damages and consequences”.
The incident comes amid heightened tensions in the Strait of Hormuz following months of regional conflict and despite the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding signed between the United States and Iran in June, which was intended to stabilise maritime passage through the waterway. Iran has repeatedly claimed authority over transit through the strait, a position rejected by Gulf states and the international community.
The attack on the Al-Rekayyat marks a significant escalation, targeting a vessel belonging to a country that has played a central mediating role in U.S.-Iran negotiations and has maintained diplomatic engagement with Tehran throughout the conflict.
According to Bloomberg, citing anonymous sources, the tanker “Al Rekayyat”, a liquefied natural gas carrier owned by Qatar’s state shipping company Nakilat, was reportedly hit near the Omani coast while exiting the Strait of Hormuz on 7 July.
The vessel, owned by Qatar’s state shipping company Nakilat, had reportedly loaded cargo at Qatar’s Ras Laffan earlier this month and was reportedly sailing with its transponder switched off when the incident occurred.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) confirmed earlier reports of a tanker hit by an unknown projectile, sustaining damage with no casualties or environmental impact reported.
The development triggered immediate market reactions, with European natural gas prices rising by more than 4% and Brent crude also edging higher amid fears of disruption in one of the world’s most critical energy transit routes.
The reported strike has renewed concerns over the stability of the U.S.-Iran agreement and also intensified concerns over security in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital chokepoint through which a significant portion of the world’s oil and gas flows.
