Iranian missile hits oil tanker in Qatari territorial waters
Three Iranian cruise missiles struck Qatari territory, the Defence Ministry says, with armed forces 'successfully' intercepting two of them.
Three Iranian cruise missiles targeted Qatar on Wednesday, with one striking an oil tanker in Qatar's territorial waters, the Qatari Defence Ministry announced.
The armed forces "successfully intercepted two of the cruise missiles, while the third missile struck an oil tanker leased to Qatar Energy in Qatar's territorial waters," the ministry said on US social media platform X.
Relevant measures were activated, and the authorities established coordination to evacuate all 21 crew members from the tanker without any casualties, it added.
Gulf hit by widening Iranian strikes
A fully-loaded Kuwaiti oil tanker came under attack off Dubai the day before, one of more than 20 ships attacked by Iran during the war.
Bahrain sounded two alerts for incoming missiles, and said an Iranian attack had caused a fire at a business facility.
In Kuwait, the state-run KUNA news agency said a drone had hit a fuel tank at Kuwait International Airport, sparking a “large fire” that crews were working to control.
Two drones were also intercepted in Saudi Arabia, which has come under repeated Iranian attack, and air raid sirens sounded in Israel though there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.
With no sign of the war abating and more than 3,000 lives already lost, US President Donald Trump suggested it could be over within two weeks even as he moved to bring thousands more troops to the region.
No signs of Iran relinquishing grip on Strait of Hormuz shipping
Trump has been under growing pressure to end the war as Iran’s grip on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and its attacks on regional energy infrastructure have sent gas prices skyrocketing to their highest level since 2022 and caused broad stock market fluctuations.
Iran throttled ship traffic through the strait, which leads from the Gulf to the open ocean, after it was attacked by the US and Israel on February 28.
The US has presented Iran with a 15-point plan aimed at bringing about a ceasefire, which includes a demand for the strait to be reopened.
Iran’s own five-point response includes it retaining sovereignty over the waterway, and Trump on Tuesday suggested that the war could be brought to an end even with Iran still controlling the strait.
Trump threatens expansion of strikes if strait stays shut
Trump has warned that if a ceasefire is not reached “shortly,” and if the strait is not reopened, the US would broaden its offensive, including by attacking the Kharg Island oil export hub and possibly desalination plants.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi acknowledged receiving direct messages from US Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff.
He insisted, however, that there were no direct negotiations and said Iran has no faith that talks with the US could yield any results, saying “the trust level is at zero.”
He warned against any attempt to launch a ground offensive, saying “we are waiting for them.”
“We know very well how to defend ourselves,” Araghchi said.
The US and Israel have been carrying out air strikes on Iran since February 28, killing more than 1,340 people so far, according to Iranian authorities.
Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, as well as Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties, infrastructure damage, and disruption to global markets and aviation.