LNG vessel strike a dangerous escalation

The attack on Qatari LNG ship Al Rekayyat early on Tuesday (July 7, 2026) is of significance to India as well as world shipping. In 2025, some 16% of Qatari LNG landed in India. As per marinetraffic.com, Al Rekayyat that had loaded in Ras Laffan is supposed to call on Dahej in Gujarat on July 12. LNG ships owing allegiance to Qatar and UAE have been transiting along the Oman route for several weeks now but with their transponders switched off, a phenomenon known in the shipping industry as dark transits. Switching off the equipment helps to evade detection by Iran and stave off attacks.Al Rekayyat’s transponders have apparently been switched off for several weeks. The last known position has been recorded near the Indian coast but some 20 days ago.

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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at The Hindu.