Qatar confirms commercial cargo ship hit by drone in its territorial waters

Qatar confirmed that a commercial cargo ship was hit by a drone in the country's territorial waters on Sunday morning, calling it "a blatant violation of freedom of navigation and international law."

Doha “considers this attack a blatant violation of the principle of freedom of navigation and the provisions of international law, and a dangerous and unacceptable escalation that threatens the security and safety of commercial maritime routes and vital supplies in the region,” the Foreign Ministry said on the US social media company X.

It warned that targeting commercial and civilian vessels “constitutes a serious violation of international law and poses a direct threat to regional and international security and stability.”

Doha is "closely monitoring the situation in coordination with regional and international partners,” the ministry said, noting that the relevant authorities will take the necessary steps to investigate the incident and determine responsibility.

The Defense Ministry earlier said that a commercial cargo vessel coming from Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates was targeted by a drone northeast of Mesaieed Port on Sunday morning.

It said the incident caused a "limited fire", without any injuries.

After the fire was brought under control, the vessel resumed its voyage toward Mesaieed Port, the ministry added.

The Qatari statement came after the UK Maritime Trade Operations Center reported that a cargo vessel was struck by an "unknown projectile" 23 nautical miles northeast of Doha.

Regional tensions have escalated since the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Feb. 28, triggering retaliation from Tehran against Israel as well as US allies in the Gulf, along with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

A ceasefire took effect April 8 through Pakistani mediation, but talks in Islamabad failed to produce a lasting agreement. The truce was later extended by US President Donald Trump without a set deadline, paving the way for diplomacy toward a permanent solution to the war.