By Maha El Dahan, Jonathan Saul, Marwa Rashad and Andrew Mills
July 6 (Reuters) - A Qatari LNG tanker and a Saudi-flagged crude oil tanker were damaged near the Strait of Hormuz, sources said on Tuesday, after reports that Iran's Revolutionary Guards fired missiles at ships in the waterway overnight.
The Al Rekayyat was loaded with liquefied natural gas and sent out distress signals seeking assistance after it was hit on its port side, one source said.
The crew were safe and were being evacuated, other sources said, but the engine room was on fire and filled with smoke, making the full extent of damage unclear.
"Mayday mayday mayday. This is vessel Al Rekayyat, LNG vessel Al Rekayyat. We are being hit by drone on port side, top of engine room," the Rekayyat's captain said in a recorded radio call reviewed by Reuters. "Status: engine room fire and full of smoke. Unable to assess further damage."
It is the first time an LNG ship from Qatar, a mediator in talks between Washington and Tehran, has been struck since the start of the Iran war at the end of February. Iranian missile attacks caused extensive damage to Qatar's LNG facilities during the conflict.
A Saudi-flagged tanker believed to be the supertanker Wedyan was also damaged off Oman's coast, maritime security sources said. The cause was not immediately known.
Al Rekayyat is owned and managed by Nakilat, also known as Qatar Gas Transport Company Ltd, which operates one of the world's largest LNG shipping fleets. LSEG shipping data showed the vessel last transmitted its location on June 18, indicating it was travelling with its transponders switched off.
Wedyan is owned and managed by Saudi shipping firm Bahri.
Bahri, Nakilat, QatarEnergy, Qatar's international media office, the Saudi government's media office and U.S. Central Command did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
PERSISTENT RISKS
The reports underscore the persistent risks to shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz despite the safe passage provisions included in an interim agreement between Washington and Tehran.
Iran's assertion of control over the narrow waterway between it and Oman — through which about a fifth of global oil shipments passed before the conflict — has emerged as one of the most contentious consequences of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.
"Now if we use the 100% safe Iranian waters, it means we are dealing with Iranians and admitting the (strait) is under their control. If we pass through the U.S.-Oman (controlled channel), then you get hit," one of the sources said.
"The U.S. gives you permission to pass, but if something happens on the way, they then say, 'it is your decision to keep moving or go back'."
The sources declined to be named because they were not authorised to speak with the media.
IRANIAN STRIKE REPORTS
Axios earlier reported the IRGC fired at least two missiles at commercial ships transiting through the strait on Monday night, citing two U.S. officials. Two commercial ships suffered significant damage but there were no casualties, the report said, citing a U.S. official.
One source said Al Rekayyat's position when it was struck matched the location described in an advisory from Britain's maritime security agency, indicating it was the tanker involved in that incident.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency said a tanker travelling southbound about 8 nautical miles (15 km) east of Oman's Limah was struck on its port side by an unknown projectile, causing a fire.
The war has been paused under an interim peace deal reached last month, intended to provide a 60-day period for negotiations on a permanent deal. A round of indirect talks in Qatar concluded last week with no sign of headway towards a lasting peace.
(Reporting by Jasper Ward, Costas Pitas, Mrinmay Dey and Enas Alashray; Writing by Yousef Saba; Editing by Jamie Freed, Kate Mayberry and Ros Russell)
