Tanker struck by two projectiles off Qatar, UKMTO says

A tanker was struck by two projectiles about 50 nautical miles north of Madinat ash Shamal, Qatar, late November 4, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said. The agency said it received a verified report of the incident at 2320 GMT. The vessel’s identity and flag have not been disclosed, and its crew’s condition, damage and any environmental impact remain unknown. UKMTO advised vessels in the area to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity. The agency said investigations were continuing. No party had publicly claimed responsibility for the strike in the reports available on November 5. The incident was reported separately from claims by Iranian state television that two oil tankers and a towboat caught fire after striking mines in the Strait of Hormuz. The vessels were not identified, and the report did not establish whether any was the tanker struck off Qatar. The mine-strike account could not be independently verified. A statement attributed to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), carried by the semiofficial Fars news agency, alleged that the vessels were using an unauthorized route and that the United States had directed them through...