Doha, May 10 — Qatar’s Ministry of Defence confirmed that a commercial cargo vessel was struck by a drone in Qatari territorial waters on Sunday morning, causing a limited fire aboard the ship. The vessel, arriving from Abu Dhabi and en route to Mesaieed Port, suffered no reported injuries, and the blaze was quickly brought under control, officials said.
According to the ministry, the crew and relevant authorities took necessary measures to suppress the fire, and the ship continued its planned voyage toward Mesaieed Port after the situation was contained. The ministry also shared an Arabic-language tweet detailing the incident.
The strike coincided with high-level diplomatic talks. Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani met in Miami with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff to discuss mediation efforts aimed at a possible US-Iranian agreement. Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said the discussions covered recent regional developments and Pakistani mediation initiatives intended to reduce escalation and enhance security and stability in the region. Al-Thani emphasized the need for all parties to engage with mediation efforts to address root causes through dialogue and to seek a comprehensive, sustainable peace.
British military sources and the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) centre also reported a related maritime incident off Qatar’s coast. UKMTO said a vessel was struck by an “unknown projectile” about 23 nautical miles (43 kilometres) northeast of Doha, igniting a small fire that was subsequently extinguished. No crew injuries or casualties were reported.
Authorities characterized this event as the latest in a recent string of attacks on shipping in and around the Persian Gulf, occurring despite a fragile ceasefire intended to halt hostilities between the US and Iran. The region has seen rising tensions in recent days: US forces reportedly targeted two Iranian oil tankers on Friday, alleging the vessels were trying to bypass a blockade of Iranian ports. In response, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Navy warned that any interference with its commercial ships or tankers would prompt a heavy assault against enemy vessels and US regional installations.
US President Donald Trump has reiterated threats to resume “full-scale bombing” if Tehran refuses to negotiate an agreement to dismantle its nuclear programme and reopen the strategic waterway. Since the conflict that began on February 28, actions by the US and Israel and subsequent Iranian responses have disrupted a key shipping lane, contributing to a rise in fuel prices and instability in global markets.
This article is based on a syndicated feed (ANI) and published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of the syndicated content.
