War on Iran Makes the US India's Lead LNG Supplier

US’s share in the global LNG market increased after the West Asia conflict led to closure of the Strait of Hormuz, effectively choking half of India’s natural gas requirement.

The Wire Staff

US’s share in the global LNG market increased after the West Asia conflict led to closure of the Strait of Hormuz, effectively choking half of India’s natural gas requirement.

war on iran makes the us india s lead lng supplier

Representative image. A cargo ship sails in the Persian Gulf toward the Strait of Hormuz, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. Photo: AP

New Delhi: In a development which reflects a significant change in India’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports trade, the ongoing West Asia crisis has resulted in the US gradually emerging as the largest supplier of LNG to India for the first time, piping Qatar, reported The Hindu Businessline.

As per data from Kpler, Washington supplied 1.5 million tonnes (mt) of LNG to India during the period for March-May 2026 quarter. During this same period, imports from Qatar amounted to just 0.1 mt. Earlier, during March to May 2025, Qatar’s share was much higher, with the country supplying 3 mt against 0.5 mt by the US.

The data further indicates that LNG imports decreased in March 2026 after the start of the West Asia crisis. Thereafter, Qatar’s share fell sharply in recent months, while the US, Oman, Nigeria and Angola became more important sources of supply.

India’s cumulative LNG imports for the first 90 days (March- May 2026) amounted to 5.8 mt, which is a decline of 6.5% on an annual basis, reported The Hindu Businessline.

During this period, Washington accounted for more than one-fourth (25.86%) of India’s cumulative LNG imports, a whopping increase from its share of a little over 8% in the year-ago period.

At the same time, Qatar’s share in Indian LNG imports saw a 48% decrease and ended up being just 1.72% during March-May 2026.

Overall, the share of top suppliers in West Asia including Qatar, The UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait decreased to only 29.31% in March-May 2026 from a massive 74.2% a year-ago.

According to experts, US’s share in the global LNG market increased after the West Asia conflict led to closure of the Strait of Hormuz, effectively choking half of India’s natural gas requirement.

Even as Europe remains the largest destination for US LNG exports, incremental volumes were increasingly redirected to Asia, including 1.6 mt in March and 1.3 mt in April 2026.

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), around 93% of Qatar’s and 96% of the UAE’s LNG exports transited through the Strait of Hormuz, accounting for almost one-fifth of global LNG trade in 2025. There are no alternative routes to bring these volumes to market, said the IEA.

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