Tanker hit by multiple projectiles off north coast of Qatar, UKMTO says

The UK maritime agency UKMTO has reported that a tanker was hit by multiple projectiles on Wednesday while sailing off Qatar’s north coast, about 94 kilometres (58 miles) north of Madinat ash Shamal. The agency said the vessel sustained hits but did not identify the ship or disclose how many people, if any, were killed or injured; investigations are underway. The incident occurred within Qatar’s exclusive economic zone, and Doha has not publicly commented. Maritime trade publications noted the event is unusual because attacks have in recent weeks concentrated in the Strait of Hormuz and it was the first reported tanker strike in the western Gulf in several weeks. UKMTO has documented a recent uptick in attacks on vessels tied to the wider regional tensions; it reported nine attacks on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz this month, equal to about half of the month’s total for incidents across the Strait and the Gulf. Analysts and shipping sources have closely watched the corridor because of its strategic importance for global energy flows. Despite the attacks, provisional shipping-data firm Kpler reported that Middle East oil exports have recently risen to — and in some weeks exceeded — pre-war levels. The seven-day moving average for crude exports from the Middle East hit 18.3 million barrels per day on September 30, compared with an approximate 12-month pre-war average of 18.0 million bpd, underscoring that flows have so far continued amid security incidents.