LNG Tankers Return to Running Dark Through Hormuz as Iranian Attacks Resumed in July
AIS blackouts and Qatari test transits underline the fragility of a corridor that handles roughly a fifth of global LNG trade.
Oil and LNG tankers were switching off their AIS transponders again when passing through the Strait of Hormuz by July 13 (2026-07-13), after Iranian attacks on commercial ships resumed during the week of July 6 (2026-07-06), OilPrice.com reported. The blackouts marked a reversal from a brief period of tentative normalisation, as vessel operators weighed the cost of running visible through a corridor still contested by armed force.6
The strait accounted for roughly one-fifth of global LNG trade before the conflict and moved approximately 18.2 million barrels per day of crude oil and refined products in 2025, according to OGJ. Asian buyers absorbed nearly 80% of those oil flows, with China importing close to 5 million b/d through Hormuz alone. India, Japan and South Korea each took roughly 2 million b/d.3
Not every operator pulled back. Close to half a dozen LNG carriers entered the strait around July 6 (2026-07-06) and six were tracked exiting despite the renewed hostilities, according to vessel data reported by OilPrice.com on July 10 (2026-07-10). Qatar also moved quietly: the Al Daayen tanker, having loaded at Qatar's LNG facilities, transited Hormuz even as diplomatic talks remained unsettled.5,4
The supply damage is severe. The IEA estimated that global oil supply had fallen by 12.8 million b/d since the conflict began, with a further 1.8 million b/d month-over-month decline into May. The EIA separately put Middle East crude shut-ins at 10.5 million b/d in April, rising to an expected 10.8 million b/d in May as regional storage neared capacity.3
OPEC+ output fell to 40.1 million b/d in April, down 1.9 million b/d from March and 11.9 million b/d below pre-war levels, according to OGJ analysis.3
Prices reflected both the disruption and the back-and-forth on diplomacy. ICE Brent crude front-month, which settled at $99.58 on Tuesday (2026-05-26) — a roughly 4% surge on the day Reuters reported US strikes in Iran — stood at $82.38 per barrel as of 2026-08-09. The gap between the spike high and current flat price captures repeated rounds of ceasefire speculation weighing against the persistent physical impairment of flows. Asian LNG spot prices as tracked by JKM closed at $21.11 per MMBtu on 2026-08-09. ICE Endex TTF front-month closed at €55.50 per MWh on August 8 (2026-08-08), sustained partly by European competition for cargoes diverted from Gulf routes.1,2,7
S&P Global reported by mid-July (2026-07-15) that the sustained disruption had accelerated US LNG investment commitments, as buyers sought supply alternatives to Hormuz-dependent sources. That investment would take years to materialise as additional export capacity.7
The crisis escalated sharply on Tuesday (2026-05-26) when US military strikes in Iran drove ICE Brent crude front-month up roughly 4%, after which Iran restricted nearly all non-Iranian shipping. One session earlier, Brent had dropped 7% on peace hopes before those hopes collapsed. Six previous diplomatic attempts had failed before the most recent escalation. Tony Sycamore of IG put the negotiating position plainly: "It's a sharp reminder that the deal could still collapse at the 11th hour, much like the five previous attempts before it."1,2
With tankers again running dark and the Al Daayen's passage representing a controlled risk test rather than a return to normal scheduling, whether individual Qatari transits develop into a sustained pattern or remain isolated moves is the shipping data point that LNG traders are watching week to week.6,4