The fragile ceasefire in the Iran war was tested again on Sunday when unidentified drones set a cargo ship alight near Qatar’s coast and crossed into Kuwaiti airspace before dawn, authorities said. Officials in both countries reported no casualties.
Qatar’s Ministry of Defence said a drone struck a commercial vessel arriving from Abu Dhabi into a southern port, causing a small fire that was extinguished. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre placed the incident 23 nautical miles (43 kilometres) northeast of Doha. There was no immediate information on the ship’s owner or origin, and no group claimed responsibility.
In Kuwait, Defence Ministry spokesman Brig. Gen. Saud Abdulaziz Al Otaibi said hostile drones entered the country’s airspace early Sunday and that forces responded “in accordance with established procedures.” He did not specify the drones’ origin, and Kuwait reported no injuries.
The incidents are the latest threats to a month-old pause in fighting that officials say is under growing strain. Iran has restricted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global oil shipments, while the United States has imposed a blockade on Iranian ports.
Washington has presented a new proposal aimed at ending the war, reopening the strait to shipping and rolling back elements of Iran’s nuclear program, and has been waiting for Iran’s response. U.S. President Donald Trump has warned he could resume full-scale bombing if Iran rejects an agreement to reopen the waterway and curb its nuclear activities. Iran has largely blocked the strait since joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Feb. 28 launched the broader conflict, contributing to a global rise in fuel prices and market volatility.
Negotiators remain divided over Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium. The U.N. nuclear agency says Iran holds more than 440 kilograms (about 970 pounds) of uranium enriched up to roughly 60% purity—technically close to weapons-grade levels. Iran’s military has said it is on “full readiness” to protect the nuclear sites where that material is stored.
Brig. Gen. Akrami Nia, speaking to the state IRNA news agency, said forces were prepared to guard sites against potential infiltration or heliborne operations, though he offered no further details. International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi has said most of Iran’s highly enriched uranium is likely located at the Isfahan complex, which was hit by U.S.-Israeli airstrikes during last year’s 12-day conflict and saw less intense attacks this year.
Tensions at sea have been mounting. Over the past week there were several attacks on vessels in the Persian Gulf. On Friday, the U.S. struck two Iranian oil tankers it said were attempting to breach the U.S.-enforced blockade of Iranian ports. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Navy reiterated a warning that any attack on Iranian tankers or commercial ships would draw a “heavy assault” on U.S. bases in the region and on enemy vessels.
Pakistan continues to play a mediating role during the ceasefire. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he spoke with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani to discuss the regional situation and ongoing peace efforts. Sharif wrote on X that the countries share “brotherly bonds” and said he looks forward to a forthcoming Qatari visit to Pakistan.
The latest drone incidents underscore how fragile the pause in hostilities remains and how quickly regional tensions could escalate, complicating efforts to secure a lasting settlement and reopen vital shipping lanes.
