Qatar's first LNG cargo in three weeks transits the Strait of Hormuz as the tanker Al Areesh heads for Pakistan

The LNG tanker Al Areesh, controlled by QatarEnergy, exited the Strait of Hormuz overnight into Thursday, 30 July 2026, and was entering the Gulf of Oman on Thursday morning local time. According to ship-tracking data reported by Bloomberg and Reuters, it is the first QatarEnergy-controlled LNG tanker recorded leaving the waterway since 11 July.

The vessel had loaded its cargo at the Ras Laffan export facility in early July, and tracking data lists Pakistan as its next destination. Islamabad has mediated peace talks between the United States and Iran and had previously shunned more expensive spot LNG cargoes in the expectation that Qatari supplies would resume. More than a dozen tankers are currently idling near Ras Laffan, which may indicate preparations for a broader resumption of deliveries.

QatarEnergy had paused voyages after the gas carrier Al Rekayyat was struck on 7 July, and had also placed production at the world's largest LNG plant on hold. A resumption of transits could open the way to raising output again. Neither QatarEnergy nor Seapeak, the tanker's owner, responded to requests for comment. The Strait of Hormuz is also the route for Iran's oil exports, and any sign of it reopening bears on world energy prices and on expectations in domestic markets.