Qatar exported gas through the Strait of Hormuz for the first time since the war began, a route approved by Iran

The Al-Kharaitiyat tanker, carrying liquefied natural gas from Qatar, has passed through the Strait of Hormuz, marking the countryʼs first export from the region since the start of the Middle East war. The vesselʼs next destination is listed as Pakistan.

The tankerʼs path is known thanks to the vessel tracking service VesselFinder.

The data indicates that the ship was not following the pre-war route, but a new one — around Larek Island, as previously announced by structures close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The official reason for the change in route was the mining of the strait.

Some ships have already used this route before. In particular, in April, monitoring data indicated that two tankers under US sanctions left the Persian Gulf using it, despite the US blockade of the Iranian coast.

War in the Middle East and negotiations between Iran and the US

On the morning of February 28, the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran. These attacks killed Iranʼs Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and almost the entire military leadership of the country — about 40 key high-ranking officials.

Iran, in response to the US and Israeli attacks, began shelling Arab countries and Israel. The war also halted tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow sea corridor between Iran and Oman that connects the Persian Gulf to the Indian Ocean. It was through it that almost a fifth of the worldʼs oil exports passed — tens of millions of barrels a day.

On April 8, the parties agreed to a two-week ceasefire. On April 13, the United States began a naval blockade of Iranian ports, demanding the complete unblocking of the Strait of Hormuz for all ships.

On April 17, Lebanon and Israel agreed to a ceasefire, after which Iran unblocked the Strait of Hormuz. However, on April 18, Iran reported that it was again blocking the Strait of Hormuz due to the US naval blockade. On the same day, Iran fired on several ships attempting to pass through the strait.

On April 19, Donald Trump declared that his representatives would go to Pakistan for talks. But Iran refused to send its delegation. The Foreign Ministry noted that the US had violated the ceasefire, and Iran "cannot forget the US attacks on it during previous talks".

On April 21, Trump wrote on Truth Social that he had extended the truce with Iran until the Iranians submitted their proposals and concluded discussions. And on May 1, Axios wrote, citing a letter from Trump to House Speaker Mike Johnson, that Trump considered the war over.

In early May, the United States announced Operation Project Freedom to remove neutral ships from the Strait of Hormuz. However, the operation was halted two days later, with Washingtonʼs allies in the region restricting access to their bases by American military personnel. Only two ships passed through the strait.

On May 8, Iran accused the US of violating the ceasefire by attacking two ships in the Strait of Hormuz and striking civilian areas. But there is no word yet on a breakdown.

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