Qatar has ordered all vessels bound for or currently berthed at Ras Laffan – the world’s top LNG export hub – to switch off their Automatic Identification System (AIS) immediately.
Bloomberg announced the news. Lloyds List says that the measure is to come into effect immediately and will remain in force until further notice, covering the entire port area.
The order, which is said to have been issued as a preventive security measure to safeguard ships and prevent them from becoming vulnerable targets, comes at a time of extreme diplomatic tension.
The decision comes just a few hours after Doha gave a stern warning to Tehran, in which Qatar openly cautioned Iran against using the Strait of Hormuz to blackmail the Gulf States. The Prime Minister of the Gulf Emirate, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani issued the statement.
Translation by Giles Foster
