An oil tanker navigating near the northern coast of Qatar was struck by multiple projectiles, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) announced on the 7th (local time).

According to AFP, the incident occurred 94 km off the coast of Qatar.

This location is as far as 500 km away from the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has previously targeted vessels that failed to follow designated routes over which it claims control.

Casualties have resulted from the attack, though the exact figures have not yet been confirmed.

The UKMTO did not disclose the nationality of the targeted vessel, and the perpetrator of the attack remains unverified.

However, the United States and Iran have been in conflict over control of the Strait of Hormuz since the collapse of an end-of-war memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed last June.

Iran has demanded that vessels passing through the area follow designated routes, attacking those that fail to comply.

A day prior, a Panamanian-flagged oil tanker was also struck in the Strait of Hormuz, injuring around 10 crew members.

While vessel attacks have primarily occurred near the Strait of Hormuz, a large oil tanker was targeted by a drone attack in Iraqi territorial waters on September 9, and another struck vessel was identified near Port Rashid in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)