The suspension had been triggered by the regional conflict that erupted in February 2026, when U.S. and Israeli forces launched strikes on Iran.
Qatar and Iran have resumed maritime trade after a roughly five-month suspension, with cargo shipments restarting between Qatar’s Al Ruwais Port and Iran’s Dayyer Port — a significant sign of normalisation following months of regional conflict.
According to an announcement by Iran’s Trade Promotion Organization, as reported by state news agency IRNA, commercial attaché in Doha, Abbas Abdolkhani confirmed the resumption on Sunday, saying the route had restarted following coordination between the Iranian embassy in Doha and Qatari authorities.
He said Al Ruwais Port is one of the main entry points for Iranian goods into the Qatari market and that the resumption would lower transport costs, speed up deliveries and boost trade volumes between the two neighbouring countries.
The suspension had been triggered by the regional conflict that erupted in February 2026, when U.S. and Israeli forces launched strikes on Iran.
Tehran retaliated with strikes on U.S. positions across the Gulf, including in Bahrain and Kuwait, and Dayyer Port itself sustained multiple hits during the fighting.
A ceasefire brokered by Pakistan came into effect in April, followed by the signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding in June.
The resumption of the Qatar-Iran shipping route follows a broader, tentative return to trade across the Gulf.
In late June, Iranian goods began clearing through customs at the UAE’s Jebel Ali Port — the largest in the region — for the first time since the conflict began, signalling a gradual restoration of pre-war Gulf trade corridors.
Abdolkhani said expanding economic, trade and investment cooperation remained a shared priority for both countries, in line with commitments from senior officials on both sides to strengthen bilateral relations.
