QatarEnergy LNG tanker exits Strait of Hormuz after nearly three-week halt

The QatarEnergy-controlled LNG tanker Al Areesh has exited the Strait of Hormuz, marking the first such transit since July 11, 2026, amid an ongoing blockade linked to the war that began in February. While Hormuz transits show a slight uptick, shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb strait has slowed. Additionally, Red Sea crude loadings from Yanbu fell by 30% following a Houthi blockade on Saudi Arabia, forcing tankers to shift routes or operate in the dark to maintain Asian supply lines.

QatarEnergy LNG tanker exit

• ▪The Al Areesh loaded a cargo at Qatar's Ras Laffan terminal around July 4 to July 6, 2026, and is heading to Port Qasim in Pakistan with an estimated arrival of July 31, 2026.
• ▪Iran's Fars news agency reported on July 30, 2026, that a Qatari ship laden with liquefied natural gas traversed the Iran-designated route in the Strait of Hormuz with Iran's permission.
• ▪The QatarEnergy-controlled liquefied natural gas tanker Al Areesh exited the Strait of Hormuz overnight on July 29, 2026, marking the first such vessel to leave the waterway since July 11, 2026.
• ▪The Al Areesh is the first QatarEnergy-controlled liquefied natural gas tanker to exit the Strait of Hormuz since the Al Rekayyat was struck in early July 2026.

Strait of Hormuz blockade

• ▪The Strait of Hormuz carried a fifth of global supplies of crude oil and liquefied natural gas before it was blockaded in a war that began in February 2026 with U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran.
• ▪The previous liquefied natural gas tanker to exit the Strait of Hormuz before the Al Areesh was the Al Hamra, which left on July 11, 2026, carrying a cargo loaded at the United Arab Emirates' Das Island.

Hormuz shipping transit data

• ▪The Mraweh liquefied natural gas tanker, controlled by ADNOC Gas, was detected inside the Strait of Hormuz in ballast on July 30, 2026, after being last detected outside the strait on July 24, 2026.
• ▪Twelve commodity ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz on July 29, 2026, with six entering and six exiting, representing an increase from the previous two days.

Bab el-Mandeb strait disruptions

• ▪Of the 19 ships passing through the Bab el-Mandeb strait on July 29, 2026, according to Kpler, eight entered the strait and 11 exited, including four tankers carrying crude.
• ▪Nineteen commodity ships passed through the Bab el-Mandeb strait on July 29, 2026, according to Kpler data, down from transits on July 27 and July 28, 2026, while LSEG data recorded 26 transits.

Red Sea crude loadings

• ▪Vortexa analyst George Morris stated that there has been an increase in crude and condensate tankers heading north after loading in the Red Sea, reflecting renewed security risks around Bab el-Mandeb.
• ▪Visible crude loadings from the Red Sea port of Yanbu fell by at least 30% during the week preceding July 30, 2026, according to Kpler and AXSMarine data, following a Houthi-declared blockade on Saudi Arabia.

Houthi blockade impact

• ▪Vortexa estimated that Red Sea crude exports remained broadly stable despite the Houthi blockade, citing a rise in dark tanker loadings with transponders turned off.
• ▪Cargoes loaded at the Red Sea port of Yanbu accounted for approximately 15% of Asia's seaborne crude and condensate imports in June 2026, making sustained disruptions significant for Asian refiners.