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Last Updated:May 12, 2026, 19:46 IST
Ships have been instructed to turn off their automatic identification systems (AIS), which normally transmit real-time data such as location, speed and direction.
An LNG tanker ship makes its way past migrants attemping to cross the English channel. (AFP file photo)
Qatar has asked liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers operating near its main export hub to switch off their tracking systems as part of precautionary safety measures, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday.
The directive applies to vessels docking at and operating within Ras Laffan port, one of the world’s largest LNG export facilities. Ships have been instructed to turn off their automatic identification systems (AIS), which normally transmit real-time data such as location, speed and direction, the report said.
The decision is being seen as a response to heightened fears of further drone attacks in the region, particularly amid escalating security risks linked to the ongoing war in Iran.
Energy exporters across the Persian Gulf increasingly mask vessel movements amid escalating tensions linked to the ongoing conflict. Earlier reports also noted that tankers loading at Abu Dhabi National Oil Company’s Das Island facility had temporarily gone dark while passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
The Strait of Hormuz, a vital maritime route through which nearly a fifth of global oil and LNG supplies pass, has been blocked since late February after the outbreak of the Iran war following joint US–Israel strikes in the region.
Earlier today, Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani warned against the use of the Strait of Hormuz as a geopolitical tool, cautioning against its “weaponisation".
“Iran should not use this strait as a weapon to pressure or to blackmail the Gulf countries," he said during a press conference in Doha alongside Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
(With inputs from agencies)
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News world Qatar Asks LNG Tankers To Turn Off Tracking Systems Near Export Hub As Safety Measure
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