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A cruise missile struck an oil tanker off the coast of Qatar early Wednesday after Iran launched three missiles toward the country, according to the Qatari Ministry of Defence.
Air defences intercepted two of the incoming missiles, while the third hit the vessel in Qatar’s northern territorial waters. The tanker, identified as the Aqua 1, was operating under contract to QatarEnergy.
Despite the strike, authorities said the situation was quickly brought under control. All 21 crew members onboard were evacuated safely, and no casualties were reported. Officials also confirmed there was no environmental damage following the incident.
In a statement, QatarEnergy said the attack happened in the early hours of 1 April and stressed that operations were not affected.
Defence officials added that coordination with relevant agencies ensured a swift response.
The attack comes less than two weeks after Iranian missiles caused “extensive damage” to Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar’s main energy hub.
Qatar shares the world’s largest natural gas reserve with Iran, making the region critical to global supply.
Ras Laffan is the world’s largest liquefied natural gas export facility, and disruptions there are already being felt. QatarEnergy has said the earlier strikes put pressure on an already volatile global market.
