QATAR PERSPECTIVE

Doha delivered the most comprehensive synthesis in the pool -- as you would expect from a country whose prosperity depends directly on the Strait of Hormuz. The Gulf Times revealed that ship seizures are not a one-sided affair: the Americans have intercepted at least three Iranian tankers in Asian waters -- the supertanker Dorena (2 million barrels of crude), escorted by a US Navy destroyer in the Indian Ocean; the Deep Sea near Malaysia; and the Sevin, also near Malaysia. In total, CENTCOM claims to have redirected 29 vessels since the blockade began. But Vortexa data, cited by the Times of India, shows that 34 Iran-linked tankers have bypassed restrictions, carrying at least 10.7 million barrels. Traffic through the strait has collapsed from around 130 vessels per day to 'a handful.' The Gulf Times noted that Brent crude closed above $100 per barrel for the first time in two weeks. The crew of the Epaminondas -- 21 Ukrainian and Filipino sailors -- was reported safe. Four Montenegrin seafarers were aboard the MSC Francesca. Qatar, whose Ras Laffan LNG terminals depend on passage through Hormuz, cannot afford to see the strait closed indefinitely. The Gulf Times' exhaustive factuality is a form of silent alarm.