LNG tankers make U-turns from Hormuz as Iran keeps strait shut

Several liquefied natural gas tankers reversed course en route to the Strait of Hormuz after Iran warned ship captains that the vital channel is once again closed to maritime traffic.

Five LNG tankers — that loaded up in Qatar before being stranded in the Persian Gulf for more than a month — halted their journeys toward the western opening of the strait, according to ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg.

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Some turned back toward Qatari waters while others have slowed to a crawl, the data shows.

No loaded LNG vessels have exited the Persian Gulf since the US-Israeli offensive on Iran commenced in late February. The effective closure of the waterway has choked off about one-fifth of global LNG supplies, sending prices higher and causing shortages across emerging Asian markets.

The latest move by Iran followed hours of chaos and confusion surrounding wider traffic through the strait. The Islamic Republic broadcast to maritime crews that the waterway was closed, and one vessel reported gunfire, according to owners of vessels in the area who asked not to be identified because of the security situation.

Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, had said Friday that Hormuz was “completely open” to commercial shipping.