Washington, May 10 (SANA) The US-based Bloomberg agency reported that a Qatari liquefied natural gas tanker successfully crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday while heading to Pakistan, marking the first energy shipment from the region since the outbreak of the US-Israeli war against Iran on February 28.
Bloomberg said vessel-tracking data from the MarineTraffic platform showed that the LNG carrier “Al Kharaitiyat” loaded its cargo from Qatar’s Ras Laffan port earlier in May, before transiting the Strait of Hormuz and entering the Gulf of Oman, with Pakistan listed as its destination.
The shipment is taking place under an agreement between Qatar and Pakistan, while Iran reportedly approved the passage as part of confidence-building measures with Doha and Islamabad, which is playing a mediation role aimed at ending the ongoing conflict.
Iranian media confirmed that the vessel was the first non-Iranian LNG tanker to receive clearance from the Iranian navy to pass through the Strait of Hormuz since the start of the war, noting that it was detected near the entry point before its automatic tracking system was switched off.
The tanker, operated by Qatar Gas Transport Company (Nakilat) and flagged under the Marshall Islands, has a capacity of around 212,000 cubic meters and departed Ras Laffan on Saturday before heading toward Pakistan’s Port Qasim.
A source familiar with the Qatar-Pakistan agreement said Islamabad is holding talks with Tehran to allow limited LNG shipments through the Strait to meet urgent energy needs, with coordinated arrangements in place to ensure safe passage.
This marks the first Qatari LNG transit through the Strait of Hormuz since the escalation of hostilities, following earlier disruptions to gas shipments in April.
It is noted that the Iranian attacks on Qatar reportedly disrupted around 17% of the country’s LNG export capacity, with recovery expected to take years due to damage to the energy sector.
M.Q.R
