Two Qatari Tankers Abort Strait of Hormuz Crossing
Two LNG vessels turn back from Hormuz as missile strikes and drone attacks intensify, threatening global energy supplies and triggering fuel rationing in India.
- Publish date: Tuesday، 07 April 2026 Reading time: two min read
Two Qatari liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers were forced to abort their attempt to cross the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, shattering hopes for the resumption of the first LNG shipments from the Gulf since the onset of the current war.
The Rasheeda, flagged in the Marshall Islands, and the Al Daayen, registered in the Bahamas, turned back before completing their transit of the narrow waterway on Monday afternoon. The decision comes amidst a sharp escalation in regional violence; earlier that day, Iran launched strikes against US forces stationed on Kuwait's Bubiyan island, while the United Arab Emirates reported intercepting 12 ballistic missiles, two cruise missiles, and 19 drones.
Qatar, which accounts for approximately one-fifth of the global LNG supply, is now facing a severe logistical bottleneck. Iranian strikes on Qatari infrastructure have already knocked an estimated 17 percent of the nation's export capacity offline, with repairs expected to take up to five years.
Analysts warn that any sustained closure of the Strait of Hormuz to Qatari tankers would severely tighten an already constrained global LNG market. The ripple effects are expected to reach energy buyers across Europe and Asia. Industry estimates suggest that limited production and transport disruptions could cost Qatar approximately $20 billion annually.
The aborted crossing of the Qatari tankers mirrors a similar incident involving two COSCO ultra-large container vessels, the CSCL Indian Ocean and the CSCL Arctic Ocean. Those ships successfully crossed the strait on March 30 after an initial attempt on March 27 was called off, marking the first confirmed transit by a major container carrier since the conflict began on February 28.
Reports indicate that Iran has adopted a policy of permitting passage only for vessels from countries it designates as "friendly." This list reportedly includes China, India, Pakistan, and Russia. The turning back of the Qatari tankers suggests that Qatar, a key US ally and major LNG exporter, does not currently fall under this protection umbrella in the eyes of Tehran.
The disruption arrives at a critical moment for Asian markets, which are the world's leading importers of LNG and are currently grappling with a serious fuel crisis. Nearly half of India's LNG intake is tied to Qatari supply, much of it secured through long-term contracts with importers such as Petronet LNG, which operates major receiving terminals on India's west coast.
In response to the loss of Qatari supply, reports suggest that India has already instructed its industry leaders to reduce gas consumption by 10 to 20 percent. With the Strait of Hormuz remaining a volatile chokepoint, the outlook for energy security in the region remains precarious.