Qatar Brings Empty LNG Ship Back for First Time Since War Began

By Stephen Stapczynski and Prejula Prem

Jun 18, 2026 (Bloomberg) –Qatar brought an empty liquefied natural gas tanker back into the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz for the first time since the war in Iran began, a sign that the key producer is preparing to ramp up exports.

The Al Hamla, which is owned by Qatar’s state-owned shipping company, appeared at the Ras Laffan export plant on Thursday, according to ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg. The vessel stopped sending a signal near western India about a week ago.

The tanker’s arrival follows the signing of an interim peace deal between the US and Iran, which calls for a rapid reopening of the critical waterway. The closure of Hormuz has curbed access to about a fifth of global LNG supply, with only limited shipments going through on vessels that went dark — turning off their transponders to mask their locations — or with approval from Tehran.

Read More: First Saudi Supertankers Start Crossing Hormuz After Deal

Qatar is aiming to restore most of its export capacity within two months of Hormuz reopening, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday. That will require securing vessels to lift shipments. Until now, no empty Qatari LNG tanker had sailed into the Persian Gulf since the conflict began in late February.

Several empty vessels linked to Qatar started heading back to the Middle East earlier this week.

© 2026 Bloomberg L.P.

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This article contains reporting from Bloomberg, published under license.

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