Final Gulf LNG Cargoes Arrive as Hormuz Blockade Deepens Crisis

The last liquefied natural gas shipments that departed the Middle East before Iran closed the Strait are now reaching ports, marking the end of Gulf LNG supplies for the foreseeable future.

Supply Cliff Looms as Final Cargoes Dock

The final batch of LNG carriers that left the Persian Gulf before the Strait of Hormuz closure are expected to dock at import terminals over the next 10 days. These vessels departed before Iran launched its escalation, and their arrival marks a critical inflection point for global gas markets.

With an estimated 7–10 million barrels per day of crude oil offline and LNG exports halted from the region, energy markets face an unprecedented supply shock. According to TankerMap data, LNG carriers from Qatar, the UAE, and other Gulf producers represent over 900 of the 4,105 active tanker fleet globally. The blockade has frozen outbound LNG movements entirely.

Buyers Scramble as Storage Fills

Major importers in Europe and Asia are bracing for shortages. The confluence of these final cargoes and the complete halt of new exports creates a dual squeeze—relief on arrival, followed by a cliff when resupply from the Gulf halts entirely.

Market watchers are already tracking alternative LNG sources from the US and Australia, but these cannot replace Gulf volumes in the near term. The Strait of Hormuz remains the chokepoint: roughly 20% of global oil and LNG flows through this waterway.