Tankers Hit in Gulf

The British military announced on Thursday that a tanker was struck by two projectiles in the Persian Gulf off the coast of Qatar. The incident occurred on Wednesday, 50 nautical miles north of the Qatari city of Madinat ash Shamal. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center did not identify the vessel or its flag state. Officials said the status of the crew remained unconfirmed as of Thursday.

The report noted that the extent of damage to the ship and any potential environmental impact are currently unknown. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. The center added that it is struggling to report accurate attack numbers because most ships in the region have stopped reporting incidents.

In a separate development, Iranian state television reported on Thursday that two oil tankers and a towboat struck naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz. The report stated that all three vessels caught fire after hitting the mines. Iranian officials did not provide details on casualties or the nationalities of the ships. The claim has not yet been independently verified.

The state broadcast also quoted a statement from the Revolutionary Guard saying the force seized two U.S. drones in the airspace over the strait. The Guard has previously issued similar statements regarding targets in the waterway. Iran closed the strait in February after the United States and Israel launched attacks that started the war. During peacetime, the waterway carries roughly 20% of the world's oil supply.

South Korea’s Defense Ministry announced on Thursday that it has proposed expanding the operational area of its anti-piracy naval unit near Somalia. The proposal would extend the mission to include waters south of Oman, reaching near the port of Duqm. That location is more than 650 kilometers from the Strait of Hormuz. The ministry said increased pirate activity in the Middle East conflicts prompted the change.

Defense Ministry spokesperson Chung Binna stated that the expansion would not draw South Korea directly into the U.S. war with Iran. She said the country would not participate in military operations to ensure freedom of navigation near the strait unless specific conditions were met. Those conditions include the end of the war with Iran or an agreement to stop fighting. The proposal requires approval from President Lee Jae Myung and the country's legislature. The unit would also receive additional equipment, including patrol aircraft and an explosive ordnance disposal team.