Two projectiles strike oil tanker east of Khafji; crew safe

Key Facts

The UK Maritime Trade Operations reported in an alert issued on 2 November 2026 that an oil tanker had been struck in the Arabian Gulf, 72 nautical miles east of Ras Al Khafji, Saudi Arabia. The agency said the tanker was sailing southeast when two unidentified projectiles struck its port side. It said all crew members had been confirmed safe. It added that no environmental impact had been reported when the alert was issued. The incident location is in the Arabian Gulf, far from the Strait of Hormuz, while the available information did not identify the tanker or the party responsible for the attack.

The agency said vessels transiting the area should exercise caution and report any suspicious activity. The alert follows a separate incident reported by the Associated Press on 1 November, when Qatar Gas Transport Company, Nakilat, said its vessel Al Ma'aida had been struck by unidentified objects in the Arabian Gulf. The company said the vessel was damaged but remained operational, no crew members were injured and there was no environmental impact. The two incidents involve different vessels and reported facts, and the available information does not link them. The UK Maritime Trade Operations also provided no details on damage to the tanker attacked east of Khafji.

Against the backdrop of the Al Ma'aida incident, Qatar's foreign ministry said it condemned the attack and that authorities were investigating, according to the Associated Press. The news agency noted that Iran has previously claimed responsibility for attacks on ships and warned vessels against transiting the Strait of Hormuz without its permission. That background, however, does not identify who was responsible for targeting the tanker reported by the UK agency, nor does it establish a link between the two incidents. Oil rose more than 2% on 30 October, closing at its highest level since the end of April, according to Reuters via MarketScreener, in a report about supply risks and an attack on a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz. The available information did not link the price move to that earlier incident or to the new attack east of Khafji.

On a separate diplomatic track, the Associated Press reported on 30 October that Qatari mediators had returned to Tehran for talks with Iranian officials as part of an effort to secure an end to the war with the United States and Israel. The UK agency provided no timeline for the tanker incident investigation and no information on a subsequent update on its status. Its operational guidance for vessels remained to transit with caution and report suspicious activity. The statement provided no details on damage to the vessel, its name or the incident's effect on shipping traffic. The available sources also reported no oil-price or marine-insurance-cost response linked to the incident.