Dubai: The British military confirmed on Sunday that a cargo ship burst into flames after being struck by an unidentified projectile off the Qatar coast.
According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre (UKMTO), the attack ignited a localised fire on the bulk carrier, which crew members were able to put out.
The incident occurred 23 nautical miles northeast of Qatar’s capital Doha, UKMTO reported. There was no casualty.
It’s the latest episode in a string of attacks on vessels t
ransiting the Persian Gulf since a tenuous ceasefire halted direct fighting between the United States and Iran.
Over the past week, multiple ships have come under attack in the Gulf. On Friday, US forces struck two Iranian oil tankers after Washington said they attempted to skirt America’s naval blockade of Iranian ports.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard navy has warned that any strike on its oil tankers or commercial ships will trigger a “heavy assault” on a US base in the region and on enemy vessels.
US President Donald Trump has repeated his ultimatum to Tehran, threatening to resume full‑scale bombing if Iran refuses an agreement to reopen the Strait and curtail its nuclear program.
Iran has largely sealed off the strategically vital waterway for global energy flows since the US and Israel began hostilities on February 28, sending fuel prices soaring and unsettling international markets.