Image for representation purposes only A bulk carrier was struck by an unidentified projectile northeast of Doha, Qatar, early on 10 May 2026, as tensions in the Gulf continue to rise amid the ongoing stand-off between Iran and the United States. According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), the incident occurred at approximately 03:01 UTC around 23 nautical miles northeast of Doha. The vessel’s master reported that the ship had been struck by an unknown projectile, causing a small fire onboard. The fire was later extinguished and no casualties or environmental damage were reported. Qatar’s defence ministry stated that the vessel had entered Qatari waters from Abu Dhabi when it was reportedly struck by a drone northeast of the port of Mesaieed. The ship later continued towards Mesaieed Port after the fire was brought under control. Authorities in Qatar said investigations were underway to identify who was behind the attack. No group immediately claimed responsibility. UKMTO advised vessels operating in the area to transit with caution, maintain high levels of vigilance and follow BMP-MS maritime security guidance. Ships were also asked to report suspicious activity to UKMTO and MSCIO. Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency reported that the targeted vessel was sailing under the US flag and belonged to the United States, although this was not independently confirmed by Qatari authorities or UKMTO. The latest attack followed reports that US forces had disabled two Iranian-flagged tankers in the Gulf of Oman on Friday to stop them from continuing towards Iranian ports. After that operation, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned that any attack on Iranian tankers or commercial vessels would lead to retaliatory action against American ships and interests in the region. Kuwait also reported security concerns on Sunday. The country’s armed forces said hostile drones had entered Kuwaiti airspace and were intercepted according to military