Qatar Declares Force Majeure as Iran War Disrupts Global Gas Supplies

QatarEnergy has declared force majeure, a legal provision allowing it to suspend contracts due to unforeseen events, affecting deliveries to customers including Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, and Italy until at least early December. The move comes amid the ongoing Israel-US war on Iran, which has severely disrupted Qatar’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports through the Strait of Hormuz. Before the conflict, 20% of global LNG passed through the strait, but exports have since plummeted, with only 18 tankers passing through between March and August, compared to 509 during the same period in 2025.

The conflict has also caused significant damage to Qatar’s LNG production capacity, with 17% knocked out by Iranian strikes. Repairs to the facility at Ras Laffan are expected to take three to five years. The global LNG shortfall from Qatar is estimated at 39 million tons, about 9% of the total global supply in 2025, leading to a 140% surge in fossil gas prices in Asia. European gas reserves are dangerously low, and politicians are banking on a mild winter due to El Niño, though unpredictable polar vortexes could lead to extreme cold and skyrocketing gas prices.

The Strait of Hormuz remains a critical chokepoint for global energy trade, despite claims by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent that pipelines would soon render it obsolete. Qatari officials dismissed this, noting that 90% of international trade is seaborne and unlikely to change. The recent passage of a Qatari LNG shipment to Pakistan, negotiated with Iran, highlights Tehran’s continued influence over Gulf shipping. The article concludes that resolving the war and energy crisis will require a deal with Iran that acknowledges its central role in global energy security.