A kamikaze drone belonging to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) attacked a bulk carrier in Qatari territorial waters northeast of the port of Mesaieed. The strike caused a small fire on board, but there were no injuries. The extent of the damage to the vessel is currently being determined.

Against this backdrop, the Qatari tanker Al Kharaitiyat transited the Strait of Hormuz for the first time via the so-called northern route, approved by Tehran, loaded with liquefied natural gas at the Ras Laffan plant. The vessel's destination was Pakistan.

Iran previously announced the introduction of a new system for vessel passage through the strait. According to Tehran, countries that do not join the US sanctions against the Islamic Republic will now be able to use a special "safe corridor." Meanwhile, vessels from countries that support the anti-Iran sanctions will be denied passage.

As a reminder, the situation in the region has remained extremely tense since February 28. Following the US-Israeli strikes on Iranian territory, the US imposed a naval blockade of Iranian ports, while Iran, in turn, effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz to vessels from unfriendly countries, using a "mosquito fleet" tactic of hundreds of speedboats.