A Qatari liquefied natural gas tanker passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, the first such transit since the United States and Israel launched military strikes against Iran on Feb. 28. Ship-tracking data confirmed the vessel entered the Gulf of Oman and was heading toward Pakistan.
The carrier, identified as Al Kharaitiyat, is operated by QatarEnergy and managed by Nakilat Shipping Qatar Ltd. It departed from Qatar‘s Ras Laffan export terminal and used a northern route close to the Iranian coast. The vessel sails under the flag of the Marshall Islands and has a cargo capacity of 211,986 cubic meters, according to data from the London Stock Exchange Group. Iran had recently established a new shipping corridor, which the tanker used.
The shipment was approved by Iran as a gesture to build confidence with Qatar and Pakistan, two nations that have been mediating between Washington and Tehran. Sources said the passage was arranged under a government-to-government deal. Pakistan faces urgent gas shortages after weeks of disrupted imports and has been in talks with Iran to allow limited tanker movements.
Shipping data from Kpler and LSEG showed the vessel transmitted its position on Saturday while entering the strait. By Sunday, it had moved into the Gulf of Oman en route to Port Qasim in Pakistan. Bloomberg first reported the tanker’s successful transit. Before this, at least two earlier attempts to move Qatari LNG through the waterway had been blocked. On April 6, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards halted two Qatari LNG tankers, Al Daayen and Rasheeda, and ordered them to hold position without explanation.
The Strait of Hormuz is a vital energy corridor. Before the war, it carried roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply and a similar share of global LNG exports. The waterway has been largely closed to non-Iranian traffic since late February. Iran has insisted it should keep control of the strait as part of any peace settlement and has proposed transit fees on ships.
The closure has triggered a global energy crisis. Iranian attacks knocked out 17 percent of Qatar's LNG export capacity, sidelining 12.8 million tons of fuel per year for an estimated three to five years, according to shipping data. Asian buyers who depend on Qatari gas have faced supply shortages and high prices.
The tanker's passage came as the United States awaited Iran's response to a new peace proposal. U.S. President Donald Trump is due to visit China this week, adding pressure for a resolution. A fragile ceasefire has been in place for about a month, but sporadic clashes continue. On Sunday, Kuwait detected several hostile drones in its airspace. The U.S. has maintained a naval blockade on Iranian ports.
Separately, Qatar condemned a drone attack on one of its commercial ships in the Gulf on Sunday. The strike caused a small fire on a cargo vessel traveling to Mesaieed port from Abu Dhabi. Qatar's foreign ministry called the attack a violation of freedom of navigation and a dangerous escalation. The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency confirmed the incident.
Qatar's Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al‑Thani met with senior U.S. officials in recent days, including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. He also spoke with Iran's foreign minister, warning that using the strait as a pressure tool would deepen the crisis.