State-owned energy company of Qatar; controls exploration, production, refining, transport and storage of oil and gas.
A tentative deal has reopened the Strait of Hormuz and allowed some vessels to leave the Persian Gulf, but global oil flows have not returned to normal. Producers and shipowners have cut output and delayed shipments; tankers stranded in the Gulf and shut-in fields will take weeks to months to restart full exports, keeping pressure on prices and inventories through summer.
A blast at Qatar’s Barzan gas facility in Ras Laffan has injured 54 and left 18 missing as QatarEnergy works to restart LNG operations after earlier Iranian attacks. Officials say the explosion was a technical accident during start-up, with no environmental impact expected. QatarEnergy says the Barzan plant is part of Ras Laffan’s LNG complex, a key export hub.
Since the latest talks, tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has picked up, while Iran-linked vessels continue transiting. The U.S. has granted a sanctions waiver through August, and discussions aim for a durable ramp-up in Gulf LNG exports. Oil prices have fallen modestly on the news.
The Financial Conduct Authority has had parts of its £9.1bn motor‑finance compensation scheme suspended after legal challenges from Volkswagen Financial Services, Mercedes‑Benz Financial Services, Crédit Agricole Auto Finance and consumer group Consumer Voice. The Upper Tribunal has set hearings for December or February; lenders will not need to calculate or pay redress while legal proceedings continue, delaying mass payouts until at least 2027 if the scheme survives.
Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani has died at 74, Qatar's Amiri Diwan has announced. He has been credited with transforming Qatar into an energy and diplomatic power by expanding LNG production, founding Al Jazeera, building sovereign investment vehicles and stepping down voluntarily in 2013 to hand power to his son.
The US has completed a two-hour "heavy wave" of strikes across Iran, hitting Revolutionary Guard command centres, missile and drone facilities and coastal surveillance sites after Tehran fired ballistic missiles at US forces. Iran has launched retaliatory drone and missile strikes on US assets and allied facilities in the region; Jordan reported intercepting missiles with no casualties.
Qatar has pressed for unimpeded Hormuz shipping and is coordinating with China as regional diplomacy intensifies. Doha says reopening the Strait must be unconditional, while mediation efforts continue amid stalled US-Iran talks and renewed attacks.