Qatari LNG Tanker Al Mayeda Attacked Near Strait of Hormuz Hours After Iran Granted Safe Passage

A Qatari liquefied natural gas carrier, the Al Mayeda, was struck by unidentified objects near the Strait of Hormuz on Friday despite Iran having granted the vessel explicit safe-passage clearance just hours before the attack. The Marshall Islands-flagged ship, owned by Qatar Gas Transport Company Nakilat, was carrying LNG from Qatar to Pakistan when it came under fire. Pakistan had negotiated directly with Iranian authorities to secure that clearance, according to people with direct knowledge of the matter who were not authorized to speak publicly.

Iran's navy offered a conflicting account, with state media reporting that an oil tanker caught fire in the strait after colliding with naval mines rather than being struck in a deliberate attack. The divergence between Iran granting safe passage and the vessel being hit regardless raises serious questions about coordination and command within Iranian forces, which have been targeting shipping in the strait and wider Gulf since a US-Israeli conflict with Iran began in February.

The attack carries severe consequences for Pakistan, whose backchannel arrangement with Tehran had quietly allowed Qatari energy cargoes through the mined chokepoint. With that corridor now in doubt, Islamabad faces spot market LNG prices reported to be running at roughly three times pre-war levels. US oil companies, meanwhile, have earned more than $130 billion during the broader Iran conflict period, underscoring how sustained Gulf disruption has reshaped global energy economics.