Three Croatian seafarers were on board a Qatari liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker that was hit on Friday evening while navigating the Persian Gulf. The crew members are the ship’s captain and two officers, a fact confirmed to Novi list by Siniša Orlić, director of the Directorate for Maritime Safety at the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure.
According to information from the Qatari shipping company Nakilat, the tanker Al Mayeda was struck by unidentified objects. It is presumed to be a drone or a missile. No crew members were injured in the incident. The company stated on Sunday that the vessel remains safe and operational, while the extent of any potential damage is being assessed. It was also confirmed that the attack did not cause marine pollution.
The Al Mayeda is owned by Nakilat, and the news was published by the Qatar Stock Exchange and relayed by Al Jazeera. Qatar expressed strong condemnation of the attack, according to a statement by the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs via the X platform. Doha considers this a dangerous act that endangers the safety of maritime navigation and the supply of the global energy market. The Qatari government announced that investigative work is underway to determine the circumstances of the incident and identify those responsible, and Qatar reserves the right to take all necessary measures to protect its property and interests.
The attack was condemned by others as well. Saudi Arabia condemned the attack and expressed solidarity with all measures being taken to protect Qatari vessels and international trade. Bahrain expressed support for Qatar and called on the UN Security Council to take decisive measures to prevent the repetition of attacks and to hold the perpetrators accountable. The attack was also condemned by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the United Arab Emirates, the internationally recognised Yemeni government, and Palestinian Vice-President Hussein al-Sheikh.
According to data from the International Maritime Organization and the UK Maritime Trade Operations, more than 120 commercial ships have been hit in the region since the start of the war. Iran, which effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz at the beginning of the war, has repeatedly warned that vessels attempting to pass through this key waterway without its permission will be destroyed. The number of attacks increased after the United States reimposed a blockade on Iran’s southern ports in July. October was the worst month of the war for maritime traffic, with at least 29 ships hit, compared with 20 attacks recorded in March.
