Another tanker attacked in Hormuz; Iran says Qatar is holding 3 missing pilots
The tanker, owned by Abu Dhabi's state-owned oil and gas company ADNOC, was attacked while transiting the Strait of Hormuz
- Aug 16, 2026,
- Updated Aug 16, 2026 7:42 AM IST
Another tanker came under attack in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday as tensions continued to rise in the region. Separately, Iran claimed Qatar was holding three of its pilots who went missing in March - a claim Doha denied.
The United Arab Emirates accused Iran of attacking one of its vessels in Hormuz, while Iran-backed Houthi rebels again struck a port in Yemen.
The tanker, owned by Abu Dhabi's state-owned oil and gas company ADNOC, was attacked while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, the Emirati state-run WAM news agency reported on Saturday.
It was the third such attack on an ADNOC-operated vessel in Hormuz in the past week.
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The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre said a bulk carrier was struck in the hull by an unknown projectile on Friday. It was not immediately clear whether it was the same vessel.
Iran asserted control over the Strait of Hormuz after the war began on February 28 with US and Israeli strikes.
Before the conflict, about one-fifth of the world's traded oil and natural gas passed through the waterway at the mouth of the Persian Gulf.
Indirect talks between Iran and the US on reopening the strait have stalled. Iran is separately discussing with Oman how to manage the waterway, which had been considered an international waterway.
Must Read: Who controls the Strait of Hormuz? US says Washington, Iran says Tehran
Iran Says Qatar Is Holding 3 Pilots
Iran's Armed Forces General Staff said Qatar's armed forces had captured and were holding three Iranian pilots who went missing in March after their jets were downed.
Brigadier General Mohammad Bagherzadeh, commander of the Iranian Armed Forces General Staff's committee for missing personnel, made the claim in a letter to International Committee of the Red Cross President Mirjana Spoljaric Egger.
The letter said credible information indicated that the three pilots had been captured alive by Qatari forces during an operation responding to US-Israeli attacks on Iran.
Tehran had previously said it had no information about the pilots' fate. The claim marks the first known case in the war in which Iran has said a regional country is holding its fighters.
Qatar said on March 2 that its air force had shot down two Iranian bombers as Tehran attacked countries hosting US military bases in the opening days of the war.
Iran's statement alleged that Qatar had prevented the pilots from meeting or communicating with their families or Iranian officials handling their cases. It asked the Red Cross president to intervene.
The letter also said a fourth pilot was killed while on a mission "targeting an enemy military base in Qatar", according to Iranian state media.
Qatar rejected the claims.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari said on X that the pilots had been shot down and that Qatari search-and-rescue teams had recovered the remains of one of them.
He said Iran had been invited in April to visit Qatar and receive a briefing on the search efforts, but had not responded.
Meanwhile, Iran-backed Houthi rebels again struck a Red Sea port in Yemen.
Another tanker came under attack in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday as tensions continued to rise in the region. Separately, Iran claimed Qatar was holding three of its pilots who went missing in March - a claim Doha denied.
The United Arab Emirates accused Iran of attacking one of its vessels in Hormuz, while Iran-backed Houthi rebels again struck a port in Yemen.
The tanker, owned by Abu Dhabi's state-owned oil and gas company ADNOC, was attacked while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, the Emirati state-run WAM news agency reported on Saturday.
It was the third such attack on an ADNOC-operated vessel in Hormuz in the past week.
Don't Miss: Pentagon faces $1.3 billion blow as Iran war wipes out 25% of US Reaper drone fleet: Report
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre said a bulk carrier was struck in the hull by an unknown projectile on Friday. It was not immediately clear whether it was the same vessel.
Iran asserted control over the Strait of Hormuz after the war began on February 28 with US and Israeli strikes.
Before the conflict, about one-fifth of the world's traded oil and natural gas passed through the waterway at the mouth of the Persian Gulf.
Indirect talks between Iran and the US on reopening the strait have stalled. Iran is separately discussing with Oman how to manage the waterway, which had been considered an international waterway.
Must Read: Who controls the Strait of Hormuz? US says Washington, Iran says Tehran
Iran Says Qatar Is Holding 3 Pilots
Iran's Armed Forces General Staff said Qatar's armed forces had captured and were holding three Iranian pilots who went missing in March after their jets were downed.
Brigadier General Mohammad Bagherzadeh, commander of the Iranian Armed Forces General Staff's committee for missing personnel, made the claim in a letter to International Committee of the Red Cross President Mirjana Spoljaric Egger.
The letter said credible information indicated that the three pilots had been captured alive by Qatari forces during an operation responding to US-Israeli attacks on Iran.
Tehran had previously said it had no information about the pilots' fate. The claim marks the first known case in the war in which Iran has said a regional country is holding its fighters.
Qatar said on March 2 that its air force had shot down two Iranian bombers as Tehran attacked countries hosting US military bases in the opening days of the war.
Iran's statement alleged that Qatar had prevented the pilots from meeting or communicating with their families or Iranian officials handling their cases. It asked the Red Cross president to intervene.
The letter also said a fourth pilot was killed while on a mission "targeting an enemy military base in Qatar", according to Iranian state media.
Qatar rejected the claims.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari said on X that the pilots had been shot down and that Qatari search-and-rescue teams had recovered the remains of one of them.
He said Iran had been invited in April to visit Qatar and receive a briefing on the search efforts, but had not responded.
Meanwhile, Iran-backed Houthi rebels again struck a Red Sea port in Yemen.