Seafarer killed in suspected missile strike on tanker in the Gulf

An oil tanker managed by a Greek company was hit by an explosion believed to have been caused by a missile in the Persian Gulf, killing one seafarer. The manager confirmed the death on November 6; the vessel was sailing unladen to Bahrain at the time, the fire was put out by the crew, and there were no other injuries and no reports of pollution.

What happened

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre (UKMTO) said the incident happened at 23:20 GMT on November 4, about 50 nautical miles north of Madinat ash Shamal, Qatar, when two unidentified projectiles struck the tanker. The manager, Velos Tankers, said in its statement on November 6 that the attack took place on Thursday (November 5). The two accounts differ slightly on the date but agree on the location and the sequence of events.

The vessel is the Marshall Islands-flagged MT Velos Sapphire, a 75,000-deadweight-tonne products tanker built in 2007 and managed by Velos Tankers of Athens. It was carrying no cargo and was heading for Bahrain when it was hit. The explosion started a fire, which the crew extinguished. The seafarer was first listed as missing and was later found on board with fatal injuries. The company did not release the dead crew member's name or nationality.

Vessel berthed in Bahrain as inquiry is prepared

The tanker was taken to Khalifa Bin Salman Port in Bahrain, where an investigation is to be opened and the extent of the damage to the hull assessed. The International Maritime Organization has recorded the attack on the vessel; the seafarer was initially listed as missing before the fatality was confirmed.

Attacks on shipping in the Gulf continue

This is the latest in a string of attacks on commercial vessels in the Persian Gulf. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on November 6 that two more tankers had struck mines in the Strait of Hormuz, a claim that has not been independently verified. As this site reported on November 5, the Guards had said then that two tankers and a tugboat had caught fire in the strait, again without giving the vessels' identities or casualty figures, and that claim was also unverified.

No government or armed group has claimed responsibility for this attack, and none has been confirmed as the source of the suspected missile. The manager said the explosion was believed to have been caused by a missile, but the cause has yet to be confirmed by an investigation.

(Sources: Reuters; The Times of Israel; UK Maritime Trade Operations; Velos Tankers statement, November 6, 2026.)