Qatar summoned Iran's ambassador in Doha for a protest meeting regarding the attack on a Qatari tanker, according to a report. The move follows a similar summoning of the Iranian deputy ambassador earlier this evening.
Qatar's Foreign Ministry summoned Iran's ambassador in Doha for a protest meeting this evening, hours after summoning the deputy ambassador and handing a formal complaint letter over the attack on a Qatari LNG tanker. The summons of the ambassador, rather than his deputy, marks an escalation in Doha's diplomatic response to the missile strike on the tanker Al-Rakiat in the Strait of Hormuz.
The attack unfolded overnight Tuesday, when the IRGC struck the Qatari tanker and two other commercial vessels near the coast of Oman, as The Zioneer reported at 03:34 Jerusalem. Iran initially took responsibility, and by morning the IRGC had confirmed the strike. Reuters later reported that the tanker remained at risk of exploding due to an engine room fire. In response, Qatar condemned the attack and held Tehran fully responsible, then summoned the Iranian deputy ambassador and delivered a formal complaint letter.
The development comes amid broader regional tensions over Iran's maritime operations. As The Zioneer has reported, Kuwait has lodged multiple protests with the International Civil Aviation Organization over Iranian attacks on its airport radar, and the United States has conducted strikes on Iranian targets in response to previous tanker attacks.
The specific content of the protest meeting with the Iranian ambassador was not disclosed. The status of the damaged tanker and the extent of the fire remain uncertain.
18 developments
- StrongKuwait Summons Iranian Ambassador, Demands Halt to 'Illegal Attacks'
- StrongJordan summons Iranian chargé d'affaires, delivers protest note over attacks on its territory
- StrongQatar sends urgent UN appeal after Iranian ballistic missile attack wounds three
- StrongQatari delegation meets Iranian FM Araghchi in Mashhad, Iran confirms
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