DOHA (Dispatches) -- QatarEnergy is set to 
become the world’s largest buyer of U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) by 2033, as the war on Iran has severely disrupted Qatar’s energy exports to global markets, the Financial Times reported.
QatarEnergy signed two agreements on October 22 and 29 that will increase by 7 million tonnes per year the volume of U.S. LNG it can resell to international customers. 
“These additional volumes make QatarEnergy the largest buyer of LNG from the U.S., and place us in a stronger position to meet the global growing needs for LNG,” said Minister of Energy in Qatar and QatarEnergy CEO Saad al-Kaabi.
The deals were finalized as Qatar struggles with disruptions after the war on Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which forced Qatari LNG shipments down by more than two-thirds. 
Before the war, Qatar was the world’s second-largest LNG exporter. The agreements will allow QatarEnergy to resell an additional 7 million tonnes of U.S. LNG annually, as the war has smeared Qatar’s reputation as a reliable supplier. 
The country faces tens of billions of dollars in losses from missed sales, with shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz still 70 percent below pre-war levels.
Rather than shipping gas to Qatar, QatarEnergy plans to resell U.S. LNG directly to import-dependent countries, as crossing the Strait of Hormuz remains risky. 
In March, the company confirmed extensive damage to its Ras Laffan Industrial City facilities from missile strikes on March 18 and 19, expected to cause approximately $20 billion in annual lost revenue. Al-Kaabi initially estimated repairs would take three to five years, later revising the timeline to approximately three years.
The U.S.-Israeli war on Iran began on February 28 with an unprovoked attack. The U.S. has emerged as a major beneficiary, expanding its role as a global LNG supplier. 
According to an analysis of the geopolitical restructuring of energy markets, Washington has used military confrontation, economic pressure and the disruption of competing supply systems to weaken rival producers and expand the reach of U.S. energy companies—a mechanism described as American energy colonialism. 
By damaging competitors’ infrastructure and threatening their export routes, the U.S. strengthens its own exporters while increasing other countries’ dependence on its supplies. 
This pursuit carries no exemption for friends: allies and adversaries alike are expected to operate in a system where American strategic and commercial interests take precedence over their economic independence.
The case underscores how war can function as an instrument of energy-market restructuring. Qatar, one of the world’s leading gas exporters, is now committing to substantial U.S. purchases for decades—dependence that can persist long after the crisis passes.