Qatar’s Ministry of Transport announced on Sunday, April 12, the full restoration of maritime movement for all vessels in its territorial waters following the month-long blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
According to a statement on X, navigation is currently permitted between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. local time, though licensed fishing vessels are allowed to operate throughout the day. Qatari tankers have been unable to transit the strait for over a month due to the intense conflict in Iran.
The reopening coincides with a major military operation in the region. US President Donald Trump confirmed on Truth Social that US Navy warships have entered the Strait of Hormuz to begin clearing sea mines. Trump added that all Iranian minelayers had been “sunk” during the operation. While Iranian state media has denied the presence of US vessels in the waterway, Axios reporter Barak Ravid cited US officials confirming that several warships have already transited the strait.
The clearing operation comes just 24 hours after reports emerged that Tehran had lost track of its own “chaotic” mining mission, which had paralyzed global trade and pushed oil prices toward $100 a barrel. On Saturday, reports from The New York Times suggested that even the Iranian military lacked the technical capacity to locate the thousands of mines deployed during the US “Operation Epic Fury.”
The military intervention follows the collapse of high-stakes peace talks in Islamabad. US Vice President JD Vance announced on Sunday that 21 hours of negotiations ended without a permanent agreement due to Tehran’s refusal to abandon its nuclear program. Despite the diplomatic deadlock, Trump has vowed to keep the waterway open “with or without” Iranian cooperation.
For the international community, including Ukraine, the gradual reopening of the strait is a vital step toward stabilizing energy costs.