Two tankers were attacked off the coast of Qatar in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency (UKMTO) announced following earlier reports of an Iranian missile attack on a Qatari vessel in the region.
In the first incident, the ship was struck by an unknown projectile; in the second, the vessel was hit by a drone of unknown origin, UKMTO said.
Both ships sustained structural damage, according to UKMTO, though no casualties or environmental impact were reported in either case.
The UKMTO added that the incidents are still under investigation.
Earlier on Tuesday, Axios cited a US official as saying that Iran fired at least two missiles at commercial ships transiting through the strait, following a UKMTO report of an unknown projectile causing a fire onboard a vessel near Oman.
According to Reuters, the captain of the Qatari Al Rekayyat LNG tanker made a "Mayday" radio call after the attack, saying the ship's engine room was on fire and "full of smoke."
The captain added that he was unable to assess any further damage to the ship.
Qatar, Saudi Arabia condemn Iran
Qatari Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Majed Al Ansari released a statement later on Tuesday criticizing the attack, describing the incident as a clear violation of international law.
Al Ansari added that Iran bore full legal responsibility for the attack, urging the country to immediately halt actions threatening regional security and maritime navigation.
Also on Tuesday, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Affairs Ministry condemned Iran on X/Twitter for its attacks on Saudi and Qatari vessels.
"The Kingdom affirms that these rejected attacks are an assault on the security and safety of international navigation, and on the security of global energy supplies," the statement read.
Iran refutes Qatari accusations
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei called Qatar's accusations against Iran "perplexing," describing them as "inconsistent with the principle of good neighborliness."
He added that commercial vessels using "uncoordinated routes" or those that tamper with their (the ship's) tracking systems face risks due to their disruption of "Iran's efforts to facilitate safe passage in the Strait of Hormuz."
Danya Saperstein and Reuters contributed to this report.