Force majeure
Legal doctrine excusing contractual obligations during extraordinary, uncontrollable events such as war.
On 19 March, QatarEnergy invoked Force majeure after strikes destroyed two LNG trains, making the contract-law doctrine central to suspended LNG deliveries during the Hormuz disruption.
Last refreshed: 22 September 2026
Is force majeure a legal shield or a signal that Gulf supply has fractured?
Timeline for Force majeure
Mentioned in: QatarEnergy suspends gas as ships move
Iran Conflict 2026Mentioned in: EU bans Russian LNG from 25 April
Russia-Ukraine War 2026Mentioned in: Bushehr expansion halted after strikes
Iran Conflict 2026Mentioned in: IEA: 8m barrels/day — record disruption
Iran Conflict 2026Mentioned in: 3,000 vessels stranded in Middle East
Iran Conflict 2026Background
Force majeure is a contract-law doctrine that can excuse or suspend performance when an extraordinary event outside a party's control prevents fulfilment. It is not a general shield from an inconvenient or costly bargain. A party normally needs to show that the event falls within the contract's clause, caused the failure, and was notified as required.
The doctrine matters most where war, disaster or state action interrupts a defined obligation such as delivery, transport or production. Its effect is set by the contract and governing law, so it may suspend duties rather than end the agreement. During the March 2026 Hormuz disruption, Iraq and QatarEnergy invoked Force majeure after export routes were blocked and LNG facilities were damaged.
For readers of energy and shipping markets, declarations are useful evidence of where physical disruption has become a contractual problem. They do not by themselves decide liability, because counterparties can dispute whether the claimed event, loss and contractual wording meet the required test.
Force majeure suspends LNG contracts
On 19 March, QatarEnergy said Iranian strikes had destroyed two LNG trains and declared Force majeure on contracts with Italy, Belgium, South Korea and China. For Force majeure, the episode provides a direct test of the doctrine: physical damage to the producing asset links the conflict to missed deliveries.
Force majeure does not repair lost capacity or settle every dispute. Its effect depends on the relevant contract's notice, causation and duration terms. QatarEnergy's estimate of a three-to-five-year recovery shows why the clause matters beyond a short shipping delay.
Force majeure tracks blocked exports
On 17 March, Iraq declared Force majeure on oilfields operated by foreign companies as exports could not move through blocked Gulf routes. The declaration made Force majeure the legal bridge between a physical transport failure and contractual obligations that producers could no longer perform.
The wider disruption gave the clause unusual weight. On 20 March, the International Maritime Organisation reported that more than 3,000 vessels were stranded across the Middle East. Each affected contract requires its own causal case, but the scale of the blockage raised the prospect of parallel notices across oil, shipping and cargo agreements.
What is force majeure?
Has Iraq declared force majeure on its oil exports?
What is the difference between force majeure and an act of God?
How has the Iran conflict triggered force majeure in shipping?
Can force majeure cancel a contract permanently?
