A Qatari liquefied natural gas tanker was hit by Iranian fire in the Strait of Hormuz, the Wall Street Journal reports, according to Israeli media. The report is single-sourced; details on damage, casualties, and the vessel's status are not yet available.
The Wall Street Journal reported early Tuesday morning that a Qatari liquefied natural gas tanker was struck by Iranian fire in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Israeli media citing the report. This is the first identification of one of the vessels damaged in Tuesday's escalation as a Qatari-flagged tanker. The report is single-sourced; details on the extent of damage, casualties, or the vessel's status are not yet available.
The incident is the latest in a series of maritime confrontations The Zioneer has tracked in the strait. At 03:15 Jerusalem, we reported that a vessel was hit by an unspecified 'object', with journalist Amichai Stein noting past similar incidents preceded U.S. strikes on Iran. By 04:16, the report was updated: a tanker was struck by a projectile, fire broke out on deck and was contained, no casualties. At 04:42, two ships were confirmed heavily damaged by Iranian missiles, with no casualties reported. Subsequent incidents include a tanker bridge hit by an unidentified projectile on June 27 and U.S. retaliatory strikes on Iranian targets on June 28.
Attribution for the initial reports evolved from a single source (Amichai Stein / i24NEWS, 03:15) to a Ynet report by 04:42. The current WSJ report naming the vessel as a Qatari tanker remains single-sourced as of this update.
As The Zioneer has reported over recent weeks, the Strait of Hormuz — a critical chokepoint for global energy shipments — has seen a spike in hostilities, including a cargo ship reportedly struck by an Iranian drone on June 26 and a CENTCOM strike on an oil tanker attempting to breach the blockade on June 10. The waterway has been a flashpoint in the broader campaign against maritime traffic.
What remains open: The WSJ report is single-sourced and unverified by Israeli or international media. No details on the tanker's name, flag, crew, or current location are available. The type of Iranian fire ('fire' — missile, drone, or other) and whether the vessel was able to continue its transit are not yet publicly known.
5 developments
- DevelopingBritish tanker attacked in Strait of Hormuz, Iranian-linked source says
- StrongUKMTO reports vessel strike near Strait of Hormuz; no casualties
- DevelopingCENTCOM strikes oil tanker attempting to breach blockade in Strait of Hormuz
- DevelopingOil product tanker attacked off Yemen's Ash Shihr — UKMTO reports
Source and signal
- Internal intake