Tanker Attacks Widen Gulf Shipping Crisis

A tanker sailing in the Gulf off Qatar’s northern coast was hit by multiple projectiles, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency reported. The vessel was struck about 94 kilometres (58 miles) north of Madinat ash Shamal. UKMTO said casualties had been reported but did not provide a death or injury count, identify the ship’s origin, or say who was responsible. Authorities were investigating. Qatar had not commented, although the incident took place within its exclusive economic zone. The attack is unusual because it occurred in the western half of the Gulf, rather than in the Strait of Hormuz, where vessels have more commonly been targeted. The Maritime Executive described it as the first reported tanker attack in that part of the Gulf in weeks. UKMTO has also reported a rise in attacks in the Strait: nine tanker attacks there this month, or half the total recorded across the strait and Gulf in September. The article situates the incidents within the conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel. Before the war began on February 28, the Strait of Hormuz typically handled about 125 large commercial vessels daily and carried roughly 20 percent of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas supplies. Iran effectively closed the strait in retaliation for US-Israeli attacks, while Washington maintained a blockade on Iranian ports. Despite attacks and disruption, Middle Eastern oil exports have recently recovered to, and according to provisional data exceeded, pre-war levels. Kpler data put the seven-day average of regional crude exports at 18.3 million barrels per day on September 30, compared with an average of about 18 million barrels per day in the year before the war.

A tanker was struck by multiple projectiles in the Gulf north of Qatar, in what UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) described as a rare attack so far inside the Gulf. The incident occurred 51 nautical miles from Madinat al-Shamal, and casualties were reported. Maritime intelligence firm Vanguard identified the vessel as the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged oil and chemical tanker Acers, which had reportedly been heading towards the Strait of Hormuz. The attack comes amid repeated assaults on merchant shipping since the US and Israel’s war with Iran began in February. The International Maritime Organization says at least 24 seafarers have died in 93 confirmed incidents. The most recent previously reported attack with casualties killed two sailors aboard the tanker El Gaia in the Strait of Hormuz on 9 September. According to Martin Kelly of EOS Risk Group, the incident off Qatar is also the first reported attack this far west of the strait since that date. The article also corrects an earlier Vanguard report about a different tanker, Dhalkut, near Fujairah in the UAE: the company said there was no indication that a fire had occurred aboard it. The Strait of Hormuz, a route that normally carries about one-fifth of global oil and gas shipments, was effectively closed after the war began, amid Iranian missile and drone attacks on commercial vessels and a US naval blockade of Iranian ports. A preliminary US-Iran agreement to end the war and reopen the strait collapsed within weeks, after attacks on shipping resumed and the US restored its blockade. Iran has asserted a degree of control over the waterway and targeted ships using a southern route through Omani waters. The US military has been protecting tankers moving Gulf Arab states’ oil through the strait. Kpler analysts estimate crude exports through the waterway averaged 12 million barrels per day over the previous two weeks, around 80% of pre-war levels.

Two commercial tankers were reportedly hit in separate incidents outside the Strait of Hormuz within 24 hours, raising concern that attacks linked to the Iran-US war may be spreading beyond the strategic waterway. The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency said projectiles struck the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged tanker Acers off Qatar on Wednesday, with casualties reported. It was the first reported attack in that area in more than six months. On Thursday, a fire broke out aboard a tanker near Fujairah in the Gulf of Oman. Maritime intelligence firm Vanguard identified it as likely the Marshall Islands-flagged Dhalgout, although the cause was unclear and UKMTO had not recorded the incident. NASA satellite fire data confirmed a blaze, while US military aircraft were operating nearby. Neither Iran nor IRGC-affiliated media officially claimed responsibility. However, outlets linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps suggested Tehran had expanded operations against commercial vessels it considers to have violated Iranian rules, extending them to waters beyond Hormuz. The incidents occurred amid the effective closure of the strait, through which about one-fifth of global oil and gas shipments normally pass, following concurrent Iranian and US naval blockades that began during the war in late February. Iranian officials issued warnings indicating the conflict could spread geographically. Acting Defence Minister Majid Ebn ol-Reza referred to the Gulf of Oman and Indian Ocean and warned of further consequences if the United States made a mistake. Senior military adviser Yahya Rahim Safavi also said Iran could extend the war as far as the Indian Ocean or elsewhere if attacked by the US or Israel. Iran’s army spokesman said forces were prepared for pre-emptive operations. The article also notes a change in Iran’s defence leadership: Ebn ol-Reza became acting minister after Aziz Nasirzadeh was killed on the war’s first day, while Mehrdad Akhlaqi was nominated as permanent successor. In the United States, President Donald Trump defended the war at a Nebraska campaign rally, making remarks that appeared to accept the possibility of destruction in Los Angeles and San Diego. After criticism, he said at a Texas rally that the United States would protect its cities and would not allow such an attack.

Several explosions were heard in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Thursday, including a large blast at the city’s international airport, according to a witness. Fire and ambulance crews were being deployed, smoke was visible, and passengers were told to evacuate and leave checked-in luggage behind. Outgoing flights were halted; flight-tracking data showed no arrivals or departures shortly after noon local time. The cause of the explosions was not immediately known, and Saudi authorities had not responded to requests for comment. The blasts occurred amid Houthi attacks on Saudi infrastructure, including airports and oil installations, but no one had claimed responsibility for the explosions. The article also reports on two other developments amid escalating regional tensions. Britain and Israel agreed to downgrade Britain’s consulate in east Jerusalem to the U.K. Mission. The change followed Israel’s announcement that it would close the consulate after the United Kingdom banned trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said the consulate had ceased to function as one and that 20 British diplomats would leave Israel, while seven would remain. British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband disputed that the building would close, saying the remaining diplomats would continue working with Palestinians. The U.K. said it would not expel Israeli diplomats in response. Separately, the British military reported that several projectiles struck a tanker in the Persian Gulf, north of Qatar’s Madinat ash Shamal, causing multiple casualties. The tanker’s identity and casualty details were not provided. There was no immediate claim of responsibility or comment from Qatar.

Iran has warned regional countries that attempts to establish new oil-export routes through or around the Strait of Hormuz without its approval will be considered hostile. Officials briefed by Tehran say Iran is prepared to block such routes, potentially using missile and drone attacks or boats to intimidate ships. The warnings come amid a rise in tanker attacks: the previous week saw the most attacks in the strait since the Iran war began, while vessel traffic fell to its lowest level in more than two months. A recent attack also suggests the danger may be spreading beyond the strait. Projectiles struck the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged chemical tanker Acers about 51 nautical miles off Qatar. Its crew suffered minor injuries. Maritime risk analysts said the incident could put shipping approaches to Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iraq at risk. BIMCO safety chief Jakob Larsen said the threat appears to have increased and is discouraging shipowners from transiting the strait. The conflict is straining energy markets and the wider economy. Governments and energy companies have used oil stockpiles to offset unprecedented supply disruptions, but industry executives warned that accessible reserves are running low, increasing market fragility and pressure on prices. Maersk has raised an emergency fuel surcharge for inland transport in the UK and Ireland. The article also notes that US President Donald Trump is weighing next steps against Iran, while the war’s estimated monthly cost of US$3 billion has become a campaign issue ahead of November’s midterm elections. A British Royal Navy official warned that the consequences of conflict at sea extend well beyond the maritime domain.

Ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz fell to its lowest level in more than two months on Tuesday, with only seven commodity vessels recorded, according to data from analytics firm Kpler. The decline followed a week in which attacks on tankers in the strait reached their highest level since the Iran war began. Traffic rose to 10 vessels on Wednesday, but remained far below the more than 20 vessels recorded on Sunday and Monday. Kpler’s figures do not include ships that switched off their Automatic Identification System transponders to avoid detection. Separate LSEG data recorded eight crossings on Tuesday, down from 14 the day before, including five oil tankers and the liquefied natural gas carrier Al Mafyar, which had loaded in Qatar and was bound for Pakistan. Crude oil volumes crossing the strait fell 27 per cent from a wartime high the previous week to at least 10.1 million barrels per day. This returned the flow to its September average and left it at 74 per cent of its prewar level. Much of the decline came from ship-to-ship transfers in the Gulf of Oman. At the same time, Gulf producers increased exports through routes on the Gulf of Oman coast and the Red Sea. Those shipments reached 6.7 million barrels per day—more than twice prewar levels—helping offset reduced Hormuz volumes and keep overall Middle East crude exports at prewar levels. The latest reported attack involved projectiles striking a tanker 94 kilometres north of Madinat ash Shamal, Qatar; casualties were reported, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency. Before the war began on February 28, about 125 large commercial vessels crossed the strait each day. Their cargoes represented roughly one-fifth of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas supplies, underscoring the strategic importance of the waterway.

Oil prices rose on Thursday, October 8, 2026, after reports that the US Defence Department was identifying potential targets in Iran for strikes that could take place before the US midterm elections. Brent crude gained more than 2 per cent to $102.20 a barrel at 8.10am UAE time, recovering after briefly dropping below $100 earlier in the week. The article reports that West Texas Intermediate also moved, but the supplied text gives its price as “$8.73” and describes the increase as “1.64 per cent lower,” figures that appear inconsistent as written. Crude had remained above $100 a barrel despite a lull in the US military campaign. President Donald Trump had previously suggested that US strikes would resume only after the midterms, amid domestic backlash over the war. However, increased Iranian attacks on oil and gas tankers in the Strait of Hormuz could affect that timing. The Atlantic, citing unnamed US officials, reported that the scale of any potential strikes was still under discussion. One possibility was a limited campaign before the elections, followed by a larger operation afterward. Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz—a key passage through which about a fifth of the world’s oil and gas travelled before the conflict—remained thin. Tanker attacks reached their highest weekly rate since the conflict began on February 28, while the number of vessels crossing the strait fell to its lowest level in more than two months, according to Kpler data. Only seven commodity ships transited on Tuesday, the lowest count since July 23. In the latest reported incident, a tanker north of Qatar was struck by multiple projectiles, causing casualties, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency.