WASHINGTON: Qatar had advance knowledge that Iran would attack four vessels in the Gulf of Oman back in May and failed to warn the US, Britain, and France of the impending operation, Fox News reported citing a Western intelligence report it had obtained.
Fox News said it had exclusively obtained the report which said that Qatar knew of an imminent attack against two Saudi tankers, a Norwegian tanker and a UAE ship near the Fujairah Port, which eventually took place on May 12.
“Credible intelligence reports indicate that the IRGC-Quds Forces Naval unit is responsible for the Fujairah Port attacks, and the elements of civilian government of Iran, as well as the State of Qatar, were aware of the IRGC’s activities,” the report obtained by Fox News read.
A week after the attack, Iran was said to have been “highly likely” behind the attacks on the four tankers, according to official US assessment.
The attack at the time came right after the US President Donald Trump’s administration had withdrawn all sanction waivers to countries importing oil from Iran.
Qatar has increased its ties with Iran since 2016, when the Arab Quartet of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, and the UAE began its boycott of Doha. Qatar has been accused of hosting members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, as well as funding and promoting terrorism.