Doha/Tehran, July 7, 2026: Qatar on Tuesday strongly condemned what it described as an Iranian attack on a Qatari-owned liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier near the Strait of Hormuz, calling on Tehran to immediately halt actions that threaten maritime security and global energy supplies.
In a statement, Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari said the targeting of the Qatari-owned LNG carrier Al Rekayyat while transiting near the strategic waterway constituted “an unacceptable attack on the security and safety of international maritime navigation” and posed a serious threat to global energy supplies. He described the incident as “a grave and explicit violation of international law”, particularly the principles guaranteeing freedom of navigation and safe passage through international waterways.
Qatar demanded that Iran immediately cease any actions undermining regional security or threatening international maritime navigation, and said Tehran would be held fully legally responsible for the attack and any resulting damage or consequences.
Reports said Al Rekayyat was among two commercial vessels struck near the Strait of Hormuz late Monday while transiting the waterway, suffering significant damage but with no casualties reported. The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said a tanker travelling southbound about eight nautical miles east of Limah, Oman, was hit on its port side by an unknown projectile, sparking a fire on board. The agency said authorities were investigating the incident and no casualties or environmental damage had been reported.
Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB, citing unnamed sources, claimed that a Qatari tanker attempting to use the Omani route through the Strait of Hormuz with US Navy support was targeted after ignoring repeated warnings from Iranian forces.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints, carrying a significant share of global oil and LNG exports from Gulf producers.
Separately, Iranian lawmaker Alaeddin Boroujerdi, a member of parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, warned against any action in the Strait of Hormuz without coordination with Tehran. According to Iranian media reports, he said Iran considered itself in control of the strategic waterway and that a law on the management of the strait would soon be approved by parliament.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said talks on a final agreement between Tehran and Washington would not begin if US threats continued. In a post on X, he referred to the interim memorandum of understanding signed by Iran and the United States last month, saying it clearly ruled out the commencement of final negotiations if threats persisted.
The latest developments come amid heightened tensions in the Gulf, with reports that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fired missiles at commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. US media reports, citing American officials, said Washington was weighing a possible response to the attacks, though there was no immediate official confirmation.
