In brief
A cargo‑laden tanker flagged Antigua and Barbuda was struck by multiple projectiles 51 nautical miles north of Doha, killing at least one crew member. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency confirmed the attack, while intelligence firm Vanguard identified the vessel as the tanker Acers. The incident comes as merchant ships in the Gulf face growing threats from missile and drone attacks, after the US‑Israel war with Iran escalated last year. The United Nations International Maritime Organization reports 24 seafarers killed in 93 confirmed incidents since the war’s start. Shipping of crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz has been partially restored, but the risk to vessels remains high.
A cargo‑laden tanker flagged Antigua and Barbuda was struck by multiple projectiles 51 nautical miles (94 kilometres) north of Doha, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency.
The vessel, identified by maritime intelligence firm Vanguard as the tanker Acers, had been sailing toward the Strait of Hormuz when the attack occurred. Casualties were reported, including at least one crew member who was killed.
The incident follows a wave of attacks on merchant ships in the Gulf since the US‑Israel war with Iran began in February 2026. The IMO has recorded 24 seafarers killed in 93 confirmed incidents, with the last fatal attack in September when the Panama‑flagged tanker El Gaia suffered casualties two miles north of Oman’s Musandam peninsula.
Vanguard also reported a fire on a separate tanker, the Marshall‑Islands‑flagged Dhalkut, in the Gulf of Oman earlier this week. No incident has been confirmed in that area by the UKMTO.
The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 20% of global oil and gas flows, was effectively closed at the outbreak of the Iran war, as Tehran launched missile and drone strikes on commercial vessels and the US imposed a naval blockade. A preliminary agreement in June briefly opened the waterway, but further Iranian attacks and the resumption of the blockade collapsed the deal.
Since the reopening, crude exports through the Strait have averaged about 12 million barrels per day – roughly 80% of pre‑war levels, according to shipping data vendor Kpler – but US naval protection continues to be deployed to keep supply lines open.
