The Strait of Hormuz remains blocked; two Qatari LNG carriers turn back.

Two oil tankers carrying liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Qatar appear to have abandoned their attempt to transit the Strait of Hormuz to exit the Persian Gulf. According to ship tracking data, the Al Daayen and Rasheeda, after loading LNG at a Qatari export facility in late February, sailed east towards waters near Oman in an attempt to enter the waterway but subsequently turned back. No oil tankers carrying LNG have transited the Strait of Hormuz since the US-Israel strikes against Iran in late February. According to Kpler's ship data, Qatar has delivered two shipments of LNG to Kuwait in the past few weeks. These supplies likely originated from Qatari storage tanks and therefore did not require transit through the Strait of Hormuz. Ship tracking around the Persian Gulf remains uncertain due to the potential for electronic interference or the deliberate switching off of transponders by vessels navigating in high-risk areas. (Jinshi)