Cargo Ship Hit Off Qatar Coast as Iran Ceasefire Faces New Test

A cargo ship was hit by an unknown projectile and caught fire on Sunday, 23 nautical miles northeast of Qatar's capital, Doha, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations Centre. The strike caused a small fire, which was extinguished, with no reported casualties.

The incident is the latest test of the month-old ceasefire between the US and Iran, which has been repeatedly strained by Iranian restrictions on traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and US-imposed blockades on Iranian ports.

The US has proposed a new deal to end the war, reopen the strait to shipping, and roll back Iran's nuclear program, with one of the main sticking points being the fate of Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

The Iranian military has stated it is on "full readiness" to protect nuclear sites, while the US has threatened to resume full-scale bombing if Iran does not accept the agreement.

The situation is expected to continue to unfold, with the US awaiting Iran's response to the proposal and the international community monitoring the situation in the Persian Gulf. The UN nuclear agency has expressed concern over Iran's uranium stockpile, and the US has reiterated its commitment to preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons.