A merchant tanker flagged to Antigua and Barbuda, the Acers, was struck by an unknown number of projectiles about 94km north of Qatar’s coast on Saturday. The attack, reported by the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), left crew casualties, though details remain sketchy.
The vessel was en route toward the Strait of Hormuz, the vital maritime corridor that connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman. Vanguard Maritime Intelligence identified the target as an oil and chemical tanker, adding its registry to a growing list of shipping losses since the conflict with Iran began in February.
At least 24 seafarers have been killed across 93 confirmed attacks in the region, according to the International Maritime Organization. The most recent fatal incident took place on 9 September when two sailors aboard the Panama‑flagged tanker El Gaia were hit north of Oman.
Marine security experts note that this is the first missile or projectile strike on a vessel so far west from the Strait of Hormuz since that September incident, signalling a possible shift in the pattern of attacks. The Strait itself has been a hotspot since the war, largely due to Iranian missile and drone strikes and a U.S. naval blockade.
In response, the United States has dispatched warships to escort tankers through the Gulf, keeping the average flow of crude exports at around 12 million barrels per day – about 80 % of pre‑war levels, according to shipping data firm Kpler.
Security analysts warn that an escalation could threaten global oil supplies, with shipping lanes in the Arabian Peninsula becoming increasingly precarious.
