Qatari LNG Tankers Abort Strait of Hormuz Transit

Two Qatari liquefied natural gas tankers aborted an attempt to transit the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, marking another setback in efforts to resume LNG exports from the Gulf amid an escalating conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran. The vessels, Al Daayen and Rasheeda, turned back near the waterway's entrance after heading eastward from Qatar, according to shiptracking data from firms including Kpler and LSEG. The incident occurred on April 6, 2026, more than a month after hostilities began, and highlighted Iran's ongoing restrictions on commercial shipping through the vital chokepoint.

The tankers, loaded with LNG at Qatar's Ras Laffan facility in late February just before the conflict erupted, were among the first fully laden Qatari vessels to approach the strait since Iranian forces effectively closed it to routine traffic. A source familiar with negotiations said the ships had been permitted to pass under a temporary agreement reached last week through Pakistani mediation between Iran and the United States. However, Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps halted the vessels and instructed them to hold position without explanation, the source added. By evening, both...