Qatar hands note of protest to Iran over LNG tanker attack

Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Iranian Deputy Ambassador Mohsen Mohammad Qanei to hand him a note of protest in connection with the latest attack on Qatar’s Al-Rekayyat LNG tanker in the Strait of Hormuz.

The note was handed over by Qatari foreign ministry’s Director of the Department of Protocol Ibrahim bin Yousif Fakhro.

"The nation of Qatar expressed its strong condemnation in connection with the attack on Qatar’s Al Rekayyat tanker as it was passing near the Strait of Hormuz, underscoring that this <…> constitutes a serious violation of safety of international navigation and a clear violation of the norms of international law and also presents a direct threat to global energy supplies," the ministry said.

In the note, Doha demanded that Tehran immediately cease actions that undermine stability in the region, provide immediate clarifications regarding the incident and take measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Earlier, Reuters reported that the tanker is at risk of exploding due to a fire in its engine room that broke out following an attack on the vessel in the Strait of Hormuz.