A liquefied natural gas tanker has entered the Strait of Hormuz, poised to become the first such vessel to navigate the waterway since the conflict erupted on February 28th. The Sohar LNG tanker, tracked moving eastward, appears empty and is destined for the Qalhat LNG export terminal in Oman, according to maritime data. This vessel, signaling Omani registry, had been circling the Persian Gulf for a month prior.

LNG shipping through Hormuz has halted entirely since the war began, disrupting roughly 20% of the global LNG supply. The ship's manager, Oman Ship Management Co., and owner, Energy Spring LNG Carrier SA, did not respond to requests for comment. Iran has severely restricted Hormuz access, typically allowing passage only to its own vessels or those it approves, sometimes demanding payments in yuan or cryptocurrencies.

The Sohar is reportedly taking the less common southern route through the strait, deviating from the northerly path favored by Tehran. US President Donald Trump stated the Iran war is "very close" to completion while announcing plans for fresh attacks within weeks, offering no clarity on how Iran might be persuaded to reopen the strait. A drop in Persian Gulf LNG supply from both the conflict and recent Australian cyclone-related outages is driving global consumers to seek alternative energy sources.