Qatar has strongly condemned the targeting of the Qatari tanker Al Rekayyat while it was transiting near the Strait of Hormuz, describing the attack as a grave violation of the safety of international navigation, a direct threat to global energy supply security, and a flagrant breach of international law.The condemnation came in a protest note handed by Director of the Protocol Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ibrahim bin Yousef Fakhro to Iran's Deputy Ambassador to Qatar, Mohsen Mohammad Ghanei, who was summoned to the ministry's headquarters Tuesday.The note set out Qatar's unequivocal rejection of the assault and the threat it poses to the security of international navigation and the stability of the region.It demanded that Iran immediately cease any practices that compromise regional security and refrain from endangering international shipping and global energy supplies. The note affirmed that Qatar reserved all its rights under international law to take any measures it deemed appropriate to protect its interests and assets.It further called on Iran to provide an urgent explanation for the attack, take immediate steps to prevent any recurrence, and fully comply with the relevant rules of international law.Earlier, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson and Advisor to the Prime Minister Dr Majed al-Ansari, in a X post, termed the attack “unacceptable”.“The targeting of the Qatari vessel "Al-Rekayyat" while transiting near the Strait of Hormuz constitutes an unacceptable attack on the security & safety of international maritime navigation, the security of global energy supplies, & a grave & explicit violation of international law, particularly the rules guaranteeing freedom of navigation & safe passage through international waterways,” he noted.He further tweeted: “We demand that the Islamic Republic of Iran immediately cease all practices that undermine regional security or threaten the safety of international maritime navigation, & refrain from endangering global energy supplies & the resources of the countries of the region in pursuit of narrow interests,”.Al-Ansari also said Qatar held Iran “fully legally responsible for this attack & for any resulting damages & consequences.”Reuters adds: Three tankers were hit in the Strait of Hormuz Tuesday, including an LNG carrier at risk of explosion. Qatar blamed Iran for the attack on a huge Qatari liquefied natural gas tanker, the Al Rekayyat, which reported being struck overnight by a drone that caused a fire in its engine ⁠room.The crew were safe and being evacuated, but maritime security sources told Reuters the fire could put the ship at risk of explosion.A Saudi-flagged crude oil tanker, believed to be the supertanker Wedyan, was also damaged off Oman, maritime security sources said. The cause was not immediately ⁠clear."Mayday mayday mayday. This is vessel Al Rekayyat, LNG vessel Al Rekayyat. We are being hit by drone on port side, top of engine room," the Qatari tanker's captain said in a recorded radio call reviewed by Reuters. "Status: engine room fire and full of smoke. Unable to assess further damage."While Qatar's foreign ministry summoned Iran's deputy ambassador and handed him a protest note, there was no immediate comment from Tehran, or any claim of responsibility. Iran's Press TV cited an official as saying traffic through Hormuz was conducted in line with Iran's arrangements, adding that any "provocative action" by the US would be met with an immediate and decisive response. The unidentified official did not mention Tuesday's attacks.A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said initial indications were that Iran had fired at three commercial vessels. It was unclear whether the three attacks cited by the official included an incident reported ⁠later Tuesday by British navy-affiliated agency UKMTO in which a tanker was struck by a drone while transiting the strait. The vessel sustained minor damage but was able to sail to its next port of call, the agency said. The incidents were the first reported attacks in the strait since mourning for Khamenei began last week, underscoring persistent risks to Gulf shipping despite last month's interim peace deal. Dr Majed al Ansari quote"We demand that the Islamic Republic of Iran immediately cease all practices that undermine regional security or threaten the safety of international maritime navigation, & refrain from endangering global energy supplies & the resources of the countries of the region in pursuit of narrow interests."

Qatar has moved a step closer to putting driverless taxis on its roads after Mowasalat (Karwa) completed a successful trial of electric robotaxis under the supervision of the Ministry of Transport (MOT).Announcing the milestone Tuesday, the MOT said the robotaxis had made a round trip between the ministry's headquarters and the Old Doha Port — a run it described as the latest in a string of successes for the project, and a signal that Qatar's autonomous vehicles are edging towards a fully driverless future."This pioneering project aligns with the plans of the Autonomous Vehicles Strategy developed by the MOT, which aims to leverage advanced technology applications, incorporating the latest smart, eco-friendly systems, within the public transportation industry," said MOT Assistant Undersecretary for Land Transport Affairs Abdullah Saif al-Sulaiti.He added that the ministry's departments continue to keep pace with the best global practices in adopting smart and sustainable mobility solutions. The trials, he said, followed the highest known safety standards, with the MOT set to launch the next operational phases in collaboration with Karwa.The most striking prospect lies just ahead. According to MOT Road Affairs Department In-Charge Nayla Khaled al-Noaimi, the successful pilot shows the operating and technical systems are now ready for broader adoption of autonomous services — making the switch to a second phase highly likely. That phase, she said, aims to advance to the full running of autonomous vehicles, with no driver at the wheel, in co-ordination with the relevant authorities in Qatar.MOT Land Transport Licensing Department Director Hamad Ali al-Marri stressed that the ministry places great emphasis on providing reliable and secure services for the public, and on continuing to raise the quality of land transport services to the highest standards of innovation and sustainability.For his part, Mowasalat (Karwa) CEO Ahmed Hassan al-Obaidly said the company was working side by side with, and under the supervision of, the MOT on the vital project."At Mowasalat, we dedicated all necessary resources, including skilled personnel, workforce, vehicles, technology, and advanced software to ensure the success of this initiative across all its stages," he said. "Our goal is to deliver the service to the public with the highest standards of safety and comfort, while keeping pace with developments in the public transport sector and aligning with Qatar National Vision 2030."The groundwork has been building for nearly a year. Phase one of the project, launched in August 2025 and followed by the roll-out of a pilot commercial service through the Karwa app last December, clocked up 2,500 trips — each run autonomously under the watch of a trained safety officer (SO) seated behind the wheel.The results, the ministry said, exceeded expectations: a successful commercial operation, high passenger satisfaction, and safety rates that beat initial targets, with 94% of pilot trips completed with no human intervention.The second phase raises the stakes. It will see two autonomous robotaxis operated remotely (RO), with no safety officer on board, along three routes already tested and approved: Old Doha Port–The Gate Mall, Souq Waqif–Sheraton Doha Hotel, and MIA–West Bay.That phase will be rolled out gradually, one route at a time, with progress from one stage to the next conditional on meeting all necessary safety requirements — and only after a fully safe deployment and operation has been verified and guaranteed.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said on Wednesday they had hit dozens of US military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait in response to American strikes, in a statement carried by state broadcaster IRIB. "In an initial response to this aggression, the IRGC Navy and Aerospace Force carried out a joint missile and drone operation, striking 85 key US military facilities" in the two countries, while also shooting down an MQ-9 drone, the statement said.