In actions, which can probably best be interpreted as an attempt to maintain pressure on the United States in the context of ongoing negotiations, on Sunday, Iran launched limited attacks against three Gulf countries.
The Kuwaiti Army intercepted two inbound drones early on Sunday, May 10. It did not indicate from which direction the drones had come from, but in a previous attack on April 25, two drones launched at northern border posts had been launched from Iraq, presumably by militias owing allegiance to Iran and at Iran’s initiative.
Also, early on Sunday, a drone struck a cargo vessel in Qatari waters northeast of Doha, causing a fire on board. The vessel was en route from Abu Dhabi to the port of Mesaieed, and the crew managed to put out the fire and to complete the passage. UKMTO reported the incident, as did the Qatari Ministry of Defense, but did not name the vessel that had been hit. The only bulk carrier recorded as having arrived in Mesaieed on May 10 is the Liberian-flagged bulk carrier the MV Laya (IMO 9272864).
Earlier in the day, a loaded Marshall Islands-flagged LNG carrier, Al Kharaitiyat (IMO 9397327), was reported to have successfully transited the Strait of Hormuz using the Tehran-approved northern route and is expected in Port Qasim, Pakistan, on May 11. The Al Kharaitiyat (113,845 dwt) is managed by Nakilat Shipping Qatar for QatarEnergy. The transit was clearly made with permission from the Iranian authorities, probably as a concession to Pakistan for its part in hosting Iranian-US negotiations. Pakistan is desperately short of LNG imports.
The UAE’s Ministry of Defense reported that the UAE too had been attacked by two drones fired from Iran, which were intercepted and destroyed before they were able to cause any injuries or damage.
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Iran’s IRNA news agency reported on Sunday that it had sent its response to the latest U.S. proposal to Pakistan.
These attacks, and the contradiction whereby a Qatari-bound vessel is attacked while a Qatari-owned LNG tanker is allowed transit, are clearly part of an IRGC-led strategy to apply pressure on the Gulf states, so that they in turn will pressure U.S. negotiators to grant Iran concessions in the current round of negotiations. While this may have been the IRGC’s intention, the tactic is equally likely to backfire and provoke GCC states to adopt a more aggressive attitude towards Iran.