"Qatar was targeted... by three cruise missiles launched from Iran," the Gulf state's defence ministry said in a statement.

Qatar's military "intercepted two of the cruise missiles, while the third missile struck an oil tanker leased to QatarEnergy in Qatar's territorial waters," it said.

"Coordination was established with relevant authorities to evacuate the tanker, which had 21 crew members on board, without any human casualties," the defence ministry added.

Gulf countries have faced repeated drone and missile salvos from Iran over the past month in response to US and Israeli strikes that began at the end of February.

Iran has targeted hydrocarbon infrastructure in the oil-rich Gulf nations as well as shipping, effectively closing the strategic Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of global oil usually passes.

QatarEnergy said in a statement the Aqua 1, a fuel oil tanker, had been "the subject of a missile attack in the northern territorial waters of the State of Qatar in the early morning hours of Wednesday".

It confirmed no crew members had been injured and there was "no impact on the environment as a result of this incident".

Earlier, a British maritime security agency said a tanker had been hit by a projectile in the Gulf, off the coast of Qatar's capital Doha,

UK Maritime Trade Operations said it had received a report of an incident 17 nautical miles north of Doha that a "tanker has been hit by unknown projectile on the port side causing damage to the hull above water line".

csp/dcp

QatarEnergy