A commercial cargo vessel travelling through Qatari waters was struck by a drone on Sunday,

Qatar’s Ministry of Defence has confirmed, in the latest incident to test the fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran that has kept the Gulf on edge for weeks.

The attack took place in Qatar’s territorial waters northeast of Mesaieed Port, with the vessel reportedly making its way from Abu Dhabi at the time it was hit. The drone strike caused a limited fire onboard, though the blaze was contained and no casualties were reported. The ship continued its journey toward the port after the incident, authorities said.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, which monitors maritime security in the region, had earlier reported that a bulk carrier was struck by an unknown projectile approximately 23 nautical miles northeast of Doha. The UKMTO advised vessels in the area to exercise caution and confirmed that investigations into the origin of the projectile were underway.

Qatar’s Defence Ministry did not specify where the drone was launched from, and no group claimed responsibility for the attack.

The strike comes at a particularly tense moment in the Gulf. A month-old ceasefire between the United States and Iran, which brought a halt to hostilities that erupted after joint US-Israeli strikes in late February, has been repeatedly strained by incidents at sea. Iran has largely restricted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz since the conflict began, dealing a blow to global energy flows, while Washington has responded with a blockade of Iranian ports.

Just two days before Sunday’s incident, the United States struck two Iranian oil tankers that it said were attempting to breach that blockade.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard navy issued a stark warning on Sunday, threatening a heavy assault on American bases and ships in the region if attacks on Iranian commercial vessels continued. The warning adds to mounting pressure on negotiations that Washington has been pursuing with Tehran over a deal that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and roll back Iran’s nuclear programme.

A central sticking point remains Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, which the UN nuclear agency estimates at over 440 kilograms, enriched to 60 percent purity, just a short technical step from weapons-grade levels.

With global shipping still navigating an unpredictable Gulf and diplomacy yet to yield a breakthrough, Sunday’s drone strike on a cargo vessel in Qatari waters is a reminder that the region remains far from stable, even as world powers work to avoid a return to open conflict.