A liquefied natural gas tanker has been struck by an unknown projectile in the Strait of Hormuz, marking the second such attack on a vessel carrying Qatari LNG in less than a month and further disrupting one of the world's most critical energy corridors. Britain's maritime security agency, UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), reported early Tuesday that the vessel was hit off the coast of Oman. Security consultancies identified the ship as the GasLog Shanghai, managed by Monaco-based LNG shipping company GasLog. The company confirmed all crew were safe and the vessel remained stable.
The GasLog Shanghai had loaded its cargo in Qatar and stopped transmitting its position near the strait's western entrance last Friday. The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, is the sole maritime route through which Qatar exports its liquefied natural gas to world markets. Qatar is the world's second-largest LNG exporter after Australia, shipping approximately 77 million tonnes annually — almost all of it through Hormuz. The latest incident follows the 7 July attack on the Al Rekayyat, a Qatari-owned tanker, which prompted a three-week suspension of Qatari LNG shipments through the waterway.
The strike on the GasLog Shanghai also came days after a drone hit the Energos Winter at Egypt's Damietta port, sparking a fire that spread to another GasLog-managed vessel. No party has claimed responsibility for any of the recent attacks. The broader context includes Iranian strikes in March on the Ras Laffan industrial complex — described by QatarEnergy as the world's largest LNG production facility — which damaged two production units and triggered an initial closure of the strait. QatarEnergy has been operating under force majeure, a legal clause invoked when circumstances beyond a company's control prevent it from fulfilling contracts, on some deliveries since March.
The human and commercial consequences are mounting. Italian utility Edison announced that QatarEnergy had notified it of three further undeliverable cargoes, extending force majeure through the end of September. In total, 24 cargoes representing around 3 billion cubic metres of gas have been affected. Jean-Christian Heintz, managing director of Swiss LNG consultancy Wideangle LNG, described the second Hormuz incident as "a blow to Qatar's perseverance in mitigating the effects of the crisis," adding that insurance premiums for both vessels and cargoes "can only rise from this point."
The attacks are unfolding against a volatile diplomatic backdrop. US President Donald Trump said Monday that negotiations with Iran were continuing, warning the Islamic Republic faced a "last chance before decapitation," while Iran's foreign ministry stated there were no direct talks with Washington — only discussions with Oman over management of the Strait of Hormuz. Trump had reportedly held off on ordering new strikes against Iran at the urging of Gulf allies Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. With European buyers racing to refill gas storage ahead of winter, analysts warn the compounding disruptions are pushing global LNG prices higher.