Strait of Hormuz Passage Remains Blocked, Two Qatari LNG Vessels Turn Back

On April 6, two tankers carrying liquefied natural gas from Qatar appear to have abandoned their attempts to pass through the Strait of Hormuz and exit the Persian Gulf. According to vessel tracking data, the ‘Al Daayen’ and ‘Rasheeda’ had sailed east towards waters near Oman after loading LNG at a Qatari export facility at the end of February, but subsequently turned back. Since the end of February, no LNG-laden tankers have passed through the Strait of Hormuz following the U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran. According to Kpler’s vessel data, Qatar has delivered two shipments of LNG to Kuwait in recent weeks. These supplies likely came from Qatar’s storage tanks, thus avoiding the need to transit through the Strait of Hormuz. There is uncertainty in vessel tracking around the Persian Gulf due to the potential for electronic interference or active transponder shutdowns for ships navigating in high-risk areas.