Drone Hit Sets Qatar Ship Ablaze in Hormuz

A drone strike briefly set a cargo vessel ablaze in the Persian Gulf, marking the latest shipping attack to test a fragile ceasefire as the United States awaits Iran’s response to a proposal aimed at ending 10 weeks of war, Salma El Wardany and Arsalan Shahla reported for Bloomberg News.

The vessel, which came from Abu Dhabi, continued to Mesaieed Port in Qatar after the blaze was extinguished. (Photo: Sakan)

Qatar’s defense ministry said the commercial ship was struck Sunday morning in its territorial waters, causing a “limited fire on board” with no reported injuries.

The vessel, which came from Abu Dhabi, continued to Mesaieed Port in Qatar after the blaze was extinguished.

The ministry said it would investigate and determine who was responsible. It did not provide further details about the incident, which underscores the risks that have brought shipping through the nearby Strait of Hormuz to a near standstill and contributed to a global energy crisis.

The Islamic Republic has not publicly indicated whether it will accept President Donald Trump’s proposal, which reportedly stipulates that Iran allow passage through the waterway while Washington ends its blockade on Iranian ports within the next month.

Tehran said Friday that the proposal was “under review.”

Saudi Aramco, the world’s largest oil company, warned Sunday that it could take several months for markets to normalize even if the strait reopened immediately.