Khaberni - "Bloomberg" reported that two tankers carrying liquefied natural gas from Qatar are heading towards the Strait of Hormuz, in the first attempt to export gas from the region since the outbreak of the war and the partial closure of the vital strait.
The Qatari liquefied natural gas tankers, "Al Dafna" and "Rasheeda", are moving east towards the entrance of the Strait of Hormuz near Oman, after having loaded gas from the Qatari export plant in late February. The tankers had stopped in the Gulf during the escalation of the war, as the strait remained partially closed to shipping traffic.
Data indicates that the ship "Al Dafna" is headed to China, the largest buyer of Qatari liquefied natural gas, although the destination of either ship may change at any time.
Since the start of the American and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February 2026, no tanker loaded with gas has passed through the Strait of Hormuz.
In recent weeks, Qatar has delivered two shipments of liquefied natural gas to Kuwait, according to data collected by the company "Kepler", and it's likely that these shipments were loaded from storage tanks in Qatar, making the passage through the strait unnecessary.
It must be taken into account that tracking ship movements in the Gulf may be inaccurate due to potential electronic interference with ship signals or the deliberate disabling of transmitters when sailing in dangerous areas. The company "SBM" operates the ship "Al Dafna", while the company "Nakilat" owns the ship "Rasheeda", and according to the global ship database "Equasis", neither company has immediately responded to requests for comment.
