Tanker Hit by Projectiles North of Qatar, Crew Casualties Reported

A tanker has been struck by multiple projectiles north of Qatar, resulting in crew casualties, the UKMTO Operations Centre reported. The attack occurred 51 nautical miles north of Madinat ash Shamal in Qatari waters. UKMTO said there were multiple casualties but did not specify the number; the organisation has previously used the term to refer to seafarer deaths rather than injuries. Maritime security firm Vanguard Tech identified the vessel involved as the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged tanker Acers. The incident marks an expansion of Iran's campaign against commercial shipping beyond the Strait of Hormuz, which has been the epicentre of recent attacks. At least 12 tankers have been struck in the Strait since 29 September, while incidents in the wider Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, common during the early months of the US-Iran war, had become less frequent. The Joint Maritime Information Center currently rates the security threat level for the Strait of Hormuz as "severe," compared with "moderate" for the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman. The most recent prior attacks outside the Strait took place on 9 September 2026, when the bunker tanker Hercules Star was struck at anchor off the UAE, killing two crew members, and the VLCC New Andros was hit 28 nautical miles southeast of Al-Faw, Iraq.