Qatari Gas Ships Change Course Near Oman Amid Strait of Hormuz Tensions

(MENAFN) Two LNG carriers, Rasheeda and Al Daayen, transporting Qatari gas, changed course toward Pakistan and were later seen circling in the Persian Gulf near Oman after earlier attempts Monday to approach the Strait of Hormuz, according to reports.

The vessels had initially moved from Qatar toward the strait, suggesting one of the first efforts by loaded Qatari LNG ships to exit the Gulf via Hormuz since the conflict began on Feb. 28. Ship-tracking data later showed both ships reversed course.

Public records indicated Pakistan as the next destination for the tankers, but their latest movements implied uncertainty over whether they would make another attempt to transit the strait.

The most recent tracking snapshots showed the ships operating near Oman after turning back.

These course changes occur as traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains heavily disrupted by the ongoing regional conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, sharply reducing normal shipping flows through this critical energy chokepoint.

Had the two vessels completed the passage, they would have marked the first loaded LNG cargo transit through the strait since the conflict began, according to reports.

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