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The General Secretariat of the Council of Arab Interior Ministers issued a statement condemning the targeting of the Qatari LNG tanker Al Rekayyat and the Saudi crude carrier Wadiyan as they transited the Strait of Hormuz. The secretariat described these acts together with the attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain as constituting a violation of international laws and conventions as well as the principles of good neighborliness. It characterized the incidents as a dangerous escalation that jeopardizes regional and global economic interests while threatening international peace and security. The statement reiterated the council’s condemnation and affirmed its solidarity with and support for Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain in the measures they take to protect their security, sovereignty, territorial integrity, facilities, citizens and residents.
A Reuters report detailed that the Qatari tanker Al Rekayyat was struck by a projectile on its port side on July 7, sparking a fire in its engine room while the vessel was exiting the Strait of Hormuz. The laden LNG carrier remained stationary near the Omani coast awaiting salvage once the fire was extinguished with a tug boat and service ship positioned nearby according to ship tracking data. Industry sources cited by Reuters indicated the cargo appeared secure although the risk of explosion would rise if main tanks were breached.
The Saudi carrier Wadiyan faced a similar targeting in the same strategic waterway amid the surge in incidents. These ship attacks followed Iranian actions that prompted the United States to carry out strikes on Iranian air defense systems, radars and vessels, according to multiple reports. Iran then launched retaliatory strikes on sites in Kuwait and Bahrain, both hosts to US military bases, with alerts sounded in those countries on July 8 as detailed in a Reuters dispatch.
The US Navy-led Joint Maritime Information Center raised the threat level for transiting the Strait of Hormuz to severe in response to the sequence of events. NPR reporting confirmed that Iranian forces acknowledged targeting US military installations in Kuwait and Bahrain in the latest escalation. The developments have heightened risks to maritime navigation and global energy supplies through the critical chokepoint.
The council’s statement emphasized the need to uphold international conventions and good neighborly relations across the region. It extended full backing to the affected states in their security responses without specifying further operational details. Comparable condemnations have been issued by the Gulf Cooperation Council and Arab League in connection with the same series of incidents according to QNA distributions.
Qatar’s state shipping company Nakilat owns the Al Rekayyat which had loaded its cargo at Ras Laffan prior to the strike. No casualties or environmental spills were reported from the tanker incident in initial assessments. Regional authorities continue to monitor the situation as efforts to salvage the vessel and stabilize tensions proceed.
