Hormuz Strait: French Ship Transits Amid Iran Tensions

A container ship owned by French shipping giant CMA CGM has crossed the Strait of Hormuz, marking the first passage by a Western vessel since Iran effectively closed the waterway following the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran on February 28.

Strait of Hormuz Passage

The Malta-flagged Kribi, owned by CMA CGM, crossed the Strait on April 2. It is the first French-owned vessel to transit the channel since the conflict began.

It was not immediately clear how the vessel secured safe passage while sailing south along the coast of Oman, according to Marine Traffic vessel website data.

CMA CGM has not yet issued a comment.

LSEG shipping data indicates the vessel changed its destination to “Owner France” on Thursday, signaling its owner’s nationality to Iranian authorities before entering Iranian territorial waters.

The ship was originally bound for Pointe-Noire in the Republic of the Congo.

Since March 1, approximately 150 vessels, including tankers and container ships, have transited the strait. Most were linked to Iran, China, India, and Pakistan, according to data firm Lloyd’s List Intelligence.

China expressed “gratitude” on Tuesday after three of its ships, including two Cosco container ships, passed through the strait.

Energy Crisis

Prior to the war, the Strait of Hormuz facilitated about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies. The effective closure has led to a worldwide surge in fuel prices.

US President Donald Trump stated on Wednesday that petrol prices would fall quickly once the war concludes, but offered no plan to reopen the Strait, instead suggesting allies take the initiative. He maintained the war would be worthwhile.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that a military operation to open the strait would be unrealistic, advocating for diplomatic solutions. Macron is working with allies to establish a coalition to guarantee free passage through the strait once hostilities cease.

Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran’s former top diplomat, wrote in the US journal Foreign Affairs that Tehran should offer to curb its nuclear program and reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for sanctions relief, potentially “declaring victory and making a deal that both ends this conflict and prevents the next one.”